Out of Hand
by Heart of Daylight
Summary: Time is a fickle thing. Jim learns that the hard way when he is flung back to the beginning as a half-troll. Thankfully, though, he has a plan. The time-honored plan of coming up with it as he goes. (Replaced by Once More, With Feeling.)
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I'd like to apologize for the first time I uploaded this, in which uber formatting issues made it unreadable. Let's try again, shall we?**

 **Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo Del Toro.**

* * *

Sometimes, everything just goes straight to hell.

That's what happened to Jim. Gunmar was dead, resting in pieces all over the street, but Morgana was a different story. They knew the fight against her wasn't going to be easy, but they weren't expecting her to have Merlin's massive magical power added to her own, having absorbed it throughout the centuries of her imprisonment. So, when the entire Trollhunter gang except for the new half-troll was restrained, Jim knew he was in trouble. Once again, however, he anticipated the wrong kind of trouble.

Jim was ready to die for his friends when he jumped in front of Morgana's bolts of death magic. He was not ready to open his eyes to the forest of Arcadia in the dead of night, standing as though he were bracing himself for the death magic.

He blinked twice, trying to make sure that what he was seeing was real. As he cautiously lowered his arms from their x-position over his chest, he took in the area around him. For one, the night wasn't artificial. It was just a regular night, moon high in the sky. The forest around him was full of the chirping of crickets and rustling of its nocturnal denizens, showing that nothing had disturbed them. He looked down, seeing that the grass was dead in a perfect circle around him. A ten-foot circle, if his estimates were correct.

Giving into his new instincts, he dropped into a crouch and then jumped into a tree, resting his back against the trunk with one leg dangling off the branch that he was now sitting on. Jim absentmindedly lifted a hand to his head, stroking one of his horns as he began to think. Starting with the most pressing question. _'How the hell did I get here?'_

Jim quickly ran through several theories, discarding most as soon as he thought of them. He kept coming back to one, the most likely. _'Morgana's magic. But she definitely meant to kill me, not send me away,'_ he thought. So why had he come here, rather than simply die?

He came to another conclusion. Jim looked down at his chest plate, as he thought of it, noticing the amulet pulsing with his heart. _'The amulet. There was some sort of a blast before the magic hit me…'_ Which then made Jim realize something else. The light of the amulet was incredibly weak, being outshined even by the weak moonlight. _'It's even dimmer than when I was imprisoned by Gunmar,'_ he realized, anxiously pulling at his horn.

He stood up, the branch bending slightly under the half-troll's weight. _'The amulet's not going to be doing much in the next couple days. So, find out where I am, why everything looks fine here, and get shelter from the sun.'_ Now that Jim had goals, everything seemed much clearer. He set off to complete his self-assigned tasks with all due haste, hopping from his branch in the direction of where he knew Arcadia to be.

He passed the clearing where the ruins of Killahead bridge should have been on the way, remembering vividly the place where he had first tasted freedom from his idiotic venture into the Darklands. Something else was truly bothering him, though, as he grabbed a branch, swinging around it like a trapeze artist to stand on top of it. As he stared over the area., he could feel confusion swirling within him. The first thing that came to mind was a question: _'Where the hell are all the bridge fragments?'_

He was getting more and more confused by the minute. There was no conceivable reason for the stones to be moved, what with Gunmar already being moved and the Darklands being destroyed with the quakes of the Eternal Night. Something was most definitely wrong with the situation, even more so than he had already gathered.

He needed to get to his mom's house. He needed to get to his friends, his family, his _pack_. He redoubled his efforts on finding his way back to Arcadia, jumping through the trees once more.

By the time that he reached his neighborhood, the sun had begun to rise, and he was nearly panicking with how close the light was getting. He managed to leap behind his house before any of the light caught him, heaving a sigh of relief. Jim was breathing heavily, a tribute to his night jumping throughout the forest and running along vacated roads. Once his breathing was back under control, he slipped the key out from under the mat and opened his door, stepping inside. He immediately noticed the familiar, scents, breathing them in and letting them put him at ease.

Now he just had to find his mom. If life had gone on after his little accident with Morgana, then it was safe to assume that she still had the late-night shifts at the hospital. Which meant that she was either there right now or in her room.

He chose to explore the latter and was able to hear her heartbeat once he got up the stairs. Smiling, he made his way over to her door, before noticing something familiar about the whole situation.

A note on the door, telling him _"Late night at work, sleeping in. – Mom"_

He knew this moment. He knew this _day._

Everything about it had been committed to memory by him long ago.

Feeling his panic rising, he quietly opened the door. Confirming that his mother was indeed sleeping with her glasses on. Out of habit, and to keep himself from panicking more, he gently took them off and laid them on her bedside table. Jim then vacated the room, closing the door behind him. He slid down the wall and put his head in his hands.

This was the third time that he's gone through this day.

Somehow, it got harder every time.

* * *

For a long while, Jim simply sat there, vacantly holding his head. Trying to process that he was sent back to the beginning again. That everything he did was seemingly for naught. It was simply too much for him to handle. He felt like he was stretching, hollow, exhausted, and about to explode. It just wasn't fair.

Suddenly, a knock came at the door. "Jimbo?! We're almost late! You better not be sleeping in!"

 _Toby._ He didn't know about anything. Not yet.

He couldn't. Not now. He wasn't ready, Toby wasn't ready. It would be a disaster to talk to him now. The only problem was that Toby was now entering the house.

"Jimbo, if you're not up and ready in two seconds, we're going to have detention for the rest of our lives! We'll be so late that our kids have detention! And then they'll never graduate, and then when we get old and can't work anymore, our kids won't be able to provide for us, and then we'll die of hypothermia because we're homeless and don't have anything to keep us warm!"

It was all he could do to not burst out laughing as he hid in his mother's room. Toby never failed to raise his spirits, even if he knew that he was about to kill Toby's.

As Toby peeked in his room, Jim quickly jumped out of his mom's room and over the stairs, using the rails to lighten his fall so that he wouldn't make a sound. He then crept to the basement, cautiously avoiding the patches of sunlight despite knowing that they blocked the harmful ultraviolet rays that would turn him to stone. As he quietly closed the door to the basement, he heard Toby becoming more panicked.

"Dr. L! I can't find Jim!"

He groaned in his head, knowing that his mom needed her sleep. He quickly found a hiding place in the ceiling of the basement, as his mother responded to Toby, groaning, "What do you mean… He's always up by this time. And my glasses were on when I went to sleep."

"He wasn't outside waiting for me, and he wasn't anywhere downstairs, and he wasn't in the garage!"

He heard the thud of his mother's feet hitting the floor. "Alright, I'll help you find him."

The next fifteen minutes broke Jim's heart. They grew increasingly frantic as they called his name, even searching the basement a couple times. The entire house was being turned upside down, as if he was hiding under a couch. Eventually, after both his mother and Toby were crying, he heard his mother dial the police.

"Hello? Yes, I'd like to report a missing person… James Lake Jr., my son, he was asleep when I came home last night, and he hasn't gone to school, and his best friend and I can't find him. He doesn't have his phone wherever he is, it was on his bedroom floor. He isn't the type to go out alone without telling anyone… yes, sorry I'm trying to remain calm. Is there anything else I can tell you?... Okay. Thank you, just please, _find my son_." She hung up, sobbing, as he heard her knees hit the floor.

He sighed, wanting to apologize to his mom immediately. He knew he couldn't, however. He wouldn't drag her into this until he figured it out himself.

He settled into his position on the ceiling, waiting for her to go to work. He knew that she had a gigantic hoodie for her own comfort, one that would probably fit him in his troll form. Once she finally left was when he would get it.

He had a plan.

* * *

Barbara finally left, having to go to the hospital despite her own condition. She knew that she couldn't do anything to help with the investigation; the police had already questioned her about him and she had given them his photo.

Jim slowly crept out of his hiding space in the basement, tasting the air to make sure that he was alone in the house. Certain that everyone else had left, and that no one was watching, he bolted up the stairs to his mother's room, grabbing the large nondescript hoodie in her closet. He threw it on over his armor, noting that it managed to cover his horns well enough that it just seemed like he had a hat on under it. He found a pair of sweat pants covered most of his greaves, despite leaving oddly shaped knees. Next, he rifled his mother's medical supplies, finding bandages to cover his hands and the bottom of his face, along with his feet.

It was time to see if the other amulet existed, or if it had been replaced like his past self.

Getting through the backdoor, he managed to get the hood low enough to shade his entire face. His hands were stuck in his pockets, and he did his best to stay in the shade. He immediately set off in the direction of the canals.

The trail on the way there held many fond memories; he and Toby speeding through it to get to school on time, and that other time that they were running away from Bular with Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! All the memories brought a sad smile to his face.

Coming upon the over look of the canal, he stopped, simply staring at the scene from his memory. A pile of rocks just out of the shadow of the bridge; that's what most saw. Another smile came to Jim's face at the thought of Kanjigar, his ghostly mentor and advisor from the Void.

Slowly, he walked to the edge of the shadows, and cautiously stuck a hand into the light. When he only felt an uncomfortable heat, as if he had been sitting next to a fire for too long, he stuck a foot out. Feeling the same sensation, Jim took a deep breath and stepped fully out into the light.

The clothes worked well enough, he decided. He would have to find more if he ever needed to venture into the light again, or if he was caught in a place with no shadows. Jim slid down the inclined portion of the canal, keeping an eye out on the sewers for any unwelcome watchers.

Not that they would know who he was.

Sure enough, he caught six glowing eyes peeking out of one of the sewer grates, shutting once they caught sight of him. Jim was caught with a sudden temptation, to go and throw himself in the comfort of his adoptive father; listen to his guidance and accept his affection.

The half-troll mentally steeled himself. There was a plan already in place, and he needed to do certain things. None of which, as of now, included Blinky.

He allowed himself a moment of respite once reaching the shadow of the bridge, as it had become unbearably hot under his clothes. There was some smoke curling out from under his sleeves and hood. After sufficiently comfortable once more, he took the final steps to the body of Kanjigar the Courageous.

While a pile of rocks had no right to be imposing, Jim's knowledge of who the rocks used to be made him treat the stones with reverence, setting them aside as if they were made of glass. He kept a slow pace until finally, the amulet was unearthed.

As it had for the past two times, the amulet called to him. **"James… Lake…"**

It was as imposing as the first time.

He cupped the amulet in his hands and lifted it, making sure to stay in the sunlight with it. If Jim ventured back into the shadows, the trolls might try to attack him for taking the amulet. _'It's so much smaller than I remember…'_ He nearly jumped out of his skin when the amulet spoke again. **"James… Lake…"**

He frowned. The first time, it had stopped saying his name after he picked it up. "I'm here," he said. "It's me, old friend." In the back of his mind he was ridiculing himself for talking to the amulet again.

But then it changed.

 **"James… Lañez…"**

Jim's blood froze. A choked whisper came out of him. "What?"

 **"Claire… Nuñez…"**

Jim's mind stopped working.

It started back up again when he felt like he was on fire, the sun's rays beginning to penetrate his clothing. He nearly screamed in pain before he sprinted for the forest, ignoring the fact that he could be seen, and leaped over in the incline into the forest. The half-troll kept running, the amulet securely in his hands and away from where _it could hurt Claire._

This was so far out of his realm of thinking that he hadn't even considered it a possibility. He assumed that Draal would be chosen, as he had been the last time that Jim hadn't taken the amulet. Instead, it was going to drag down Claire, where she would be put in more danger than she had ever been than when she was with him. He finally slowed down when he determined that he was far enough away from civilization that no one would hear him.

He screamed. He roared to the heavens. He punched a tree so hard that part of it uprooted and had partially bent around his fist, cracking the other side. And then he cried.

He fell to the ground, realizing how alone he was for the first time. There was no way that he was going back, and even if he did reconnect with his friends, they would never share the memories and experiences that he had gone through with them.

Claire would never save the entirety of Trollmarket with her shadow staff.

Draal would never be proud of his progression, because he didn't train Jim.

Toby would never remember the days of the dynamic duo, before Claire. And he would never remember all the times afterward.

Blinky wasn't going to remember calling Jim his son.

AAARRRGGHH! wasn't going to remember his wingman, and all the times he saved Jim's life.

Were his friends really even his friends anymore?

He threw the other – _Claire's_ – amulet at the tree across from him. It shined back, as if mocking him. He simply lay where he had fallen, breathing hard as the tears slid from his face.

And as always, it was Toby who lifted his spirits.

 _"Maybe your old life is over, but that doesn't mean we can't be a part of your new one."_

Once Toby's voice in his memory came to him, he couldn't help but think over the implications. All the things that they could do better this time, everything that they could do together now…

Claire would never be possessed by Morgana.

Draal wouldn't die facing Gunmar.

Angor Rot could get the chance that he deserved.

Toby and he could have new adventures together.

Blinky and AAARRRGH! will always join them on their adventures.

Vendel could survive this time.

They wouldn't have to leave Arcadia to find a new heartstone.

His mind filled with all the new possibilities, he stood up and dried his tears. _'Huh, wondered if I could still cry as a troll.'_ Jim had another plan now, one that might just be able to solve his problems. And the first step?

Visit a couple people very special to him.

 _'Thanks, Tobes.'_


	2. Sidekick

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters is owned by Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

Jim realized that his plan might be solidly in the middle of crazy town. And it could be wearing banana pants, though that was neither here nor there.

He was hidden in a corner of Toby's backyard, debating whether he should he hide in his room or try and signal him otherwise. He had been crouching there for a couple hours now, the debate still raging. He didn't want to alert his Nana, and he didn't want to give his best friend a heart attack.

He finally decided that the heart attack was a risk that Toby would probably find acceptable. Knowing Toby, they would be laughing about it as soon as he was over his shock. Jim's mind made up, he grabbed the key from under the mat and crept inside, making sure to stay out of Nana's sight. For now, she seemed to be watching one of her crime shows, her cats curled up around her. The half-troll made his way up to Toby's room silently, settling behind the open door to wait.

One of the benefits of being a troll is that he no longer felt the need to fidget, which allowed him to stand completely still. It only took another hour before Toby returned home, ignoring his Nana's call of greeting. Jim heard the way his feet dragged across the floor, and his heart ached for him. He knew that his partner was probably going to be very angry with him once he realized who it was.

Toby trailed into his bedroom, his face downcast. His dejection at Jim's disappearance was palpable. He kicked the door closed with the heel of his foot, not even bothering to look around the room before dropping on his bed and staring at the ceiling. At that point, Jim decided that it was time to get a move on.

He moved to the middle of the room, letting his boots thud against the ground. In a display of forethought, he had already removed the bandages from around his face and had put down his hoodie, so that his face was fully visible.

Not that it helped Toby too much.

Toby glanced over, muttering, "Not now Nan – HOLY SHIT WHAT ARE YOU?!" He tried to launch off his bed, only succeeding in tangling his foot in a blanket and falling to the ground. Jim started laughing.

At first it was a little chuckle, but it evolved into a full-on belly laugh, where he was clutching his stomach from the ache of his mirth. _'I can still laugh hard enough to hurt.'_

It felt good to know that.

Toby, meanwhile, was looking at him in wonder. When Jim finally stopped long enough to breathe, he was nearly tackled by Toby. "Jimbo! It's you! How did you manage to make that costume? Do you have any idea how scared we all were? You went missing! I thought that you were kidnapped, or you died, or…" He trailed off, tears in his eyes as he looked up at Jim.

The half-troll sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. "Toby, there are some things you need to know." He shifted uncomfortably. "You might want to be sitting down for this."

Toby obediently sat on his bed, his face overexcited. His braces were in full view from his wide grin. Jim sighed. "First thing's first. This isn't a costume, it's-"

Toby interrupted him, pulling back the sleeves of his hoodie. "Whaaaat? Jimbo, is this armor? What do you need armor for? Ohmygosh, are you a superhero? Do you have to go fight crime now? Is that why you couldn't tell us?"

Toby found himself being lifted as if he were a toddler and was placed back on the bed. He whispered a quiet " _Whaaaaat…?_ You have super strength! Dude, that's so awesome!"

"Tobes! Do you want to hear everything or not?"

"Sorry, I'll be quiet now."

"Thank you. Anyways, I'm not human anymore. I'm a half-troll. And before you can start, yes trolls exist. So does magic. Which is why I'm here and I'm not human anymore."

Jim launched into a long-winded explanation of trolls, their society, and the Trollhunter, at which point he took off the hoodie and sweat pants.

"Now normally, this armor would be silver and blue, but since we got all the triumbric stones, I have the Eclipse armor instead of Daylight."

Toby crossed his arms, making an 'x' over his chest. "Wait wait wait. Stop the train for a moment. _We?"_

Jim winced. "That's where it gets complicated." He sat leaned against the table with Toby's magic hat, his hands supporting his weight. "I'm from the future."

Toby nodded. "That actually makes sense. Most of the stuff you were talking about, you couldn't have learned that in one night. And these triumbric stones – that sounds like epic quest type stuff. And I went on that quest with you?"

Jim grinned at him. "Why wouldn't you have?" He leaned slightly back, closing his eyes. "You're my best friend, my partner. There's no way I would have made it without you."

A small oof came out of him when Toby collided with his midsection. "I'm your best friend? Really? Ohmygosh, this takes our relationship to a whole new level!"

Laughing, Jim pulled Toby off him and hugged him for real. "You were always there, Tobes. Every adventure, you were right there with me. Well, except for the Darklands…"

"Hold on just a second. Didn't you say that was basically hell? Where the really scary dude Gunmar was? The gigantic troll who ate people? Called the Skullcrusher?" Toby squinted up at him.

Jim awkwardly shifted his weight. "Well…" He coughed slightly.

"…Don't tell me you went in there alone."

"… _Well_ …"

"Jim, you're a fucking idiot," he deadpanned.

"Yeah, that's about what you said in the future too."

"We'll talk more about this later. Your idiocy notwithstanding, continue."

Jim told the stories of their adventures. How they found the amulet, their battles against Bular and the changelings, where Toby interjected.

"I knew Strickler wasn't human! It's like he never sleeps, handing out doom the day after our tests!"

"Yeah, but he's eventually on our side. He's not such a bad guy, and he looks after my mom."

Toby cringed. "That's not part of the story that I need to be hearing."

Jim gave his best friend an exasperated, yet fond look. "Then let me get on with the rest of it."

He reached the part about Claire joining them in their adventures, and Toby elbowed him and wiggled his eyebrows. Jim simply rolled his eyes and kept going. He dropped the bomb that he and Darci managed to get together, which was when Toby interrupted again.

"No way! I managed to score with one of the most popular girls in school? Yes!" He did a little happy dance, which Jim chuckled at.

"Do yourself a favor this time and don't ask every girl in school before you ask her this time. She actually does appreciate you seeing her for her, not her popularity."

Toby nodded, his face scrunching together with determination. "I will be everything that she deserves." He sighed. "Hopefully."

The half-troll proceeded with his story. When Toby heard about Angor Rot killing AAARRRGGHH!, he gasped.

"But you said he was my wingman! You said that he was roommate, he gave up living out the rest of his life to live with us! He couldn't die like that! I get that Angor got smashed, but we got him back somehow right?"

Jim started rubbing the back of his head nervously again. "Uh, you guys got him back. Found the cure for creeper's sun, or so you told me."

"What do you mean, _you guys_? Didn't you help out?"

"…Remember when I said that I went into the Darklands alone?"

"You did that… _after we had just lost a family member?_ Damn, future you can be a real piece of shit."

"Hey! I didn't want to lose anyone else! And I am not having this argument again, I've already had it once. I know how selfish it was. But you guys got AAARRRGGH! cured, which allowed Kanjigar to use his body to open the gate. You told me that Kanjigaaarrrgghh was pretty cool."

"Alright. I'm assuming the future us beat it into you enough. Continue."

He was able to continue until he said that Toby got a war hammer, and Toby freaked out over it.

"Ohmygosh, a war hammer? That's so awesome! Was it cool! You said I could fly with it? So, I was basically a fire Thor? Oh, that's so awesome! Forget you kicking Steve's butt, I can do it myself now!"

"Tobes, Steve actually became a good friend and ally too. If you'll stop interrupting, I can get to that part."

"All I'm saying is, a war hammer is the coolest weapon." He muttered another bit, but Jim's troll ears were able to pick it up easily. "Sure beats some stupid staff."

"I'm not going to have another sidekick competition between you two," Jim said, rolling his eyes.

"Keep going, this is getting really interesting now."

Jim recounted Trollmarket's takeover by Gunmar, and Claire's sacrifice, along with the help of Steve and Eli.

"Seriously? Steve? With _Eli_? Wow, I didn't see that one coming. What's next, Gunmar invades the surface in the day? Merlin comes back or something?"

Jim blinked. "You have an uncanny ability to predict things."

"You're kidding."

"I wish I was. I really do. But, well, Merlin's not actually the legendary savior we all thought he was. You'll understand in a bit."

He told Toby about Claire being possessed, their quest to find the staff of Avalon, and how they found Merlin at the end of it.

"Turns out he had just been sleeping the whole time. Something about having to recover from the loss of his magic in Morgana's prison or something."

"Well damn. He fixed the amulet though, right?"

"Oh yeah, even used one of Claire's hair clips as a replacement piece. We got out pretty handily after that."

Then he told him about gathering the materials for the spell, and how he got his own armor. But he also told him how Merlin stopped him from saving his own mother and then emotionally manipulated him into becoming what he currently was.

Toby hugged him again when he got to that part. "He couldn't change all of you though. You know how I recognized you when you gave me a heart attack?"

Jim shook his head.

"Your laugh. You laughed in the exact same way, and that's unmistakable."

He couldn't help but smile widely at that. "Thanks, Tobes."

He told him that he took on Gunmar and Angor Rot at the same time.

"Both of our biggest bads at once? And you _won_?"

Jim grinned.

Toby just shook his head, looking at the ceiling, as if exasperated. "You have to admit that would have been a lot harder as a human. And dude. Throwing Gunmar into a building? That's pretty badass."

Jim just looked down at his hands, clenching the one with four fingers. "Anyways, we all started to fight Morgana, because Merlin was worthless without his magic, and she stole it while she was imprisoned. We put up a pretty good fight at first, but she was able to pin you guys down. But Angor Rot showed up, on our side. He held her down long enough for me to get free and stab her, even though he got stabbed with her. But somehow, she was immune to Eclipse, and she shattered it. Then she cast some death magic spell, and I couldn't let you guys die…" He trailed off.

Toby was full of hugs today. His face was full of awe as he gazed up at Jim. "You died to save us?"

"No. The collision of the magic with my amulet was what brought me back. I don't know why, though."

"Didn't you say that you had an anti-dark magic stone from Angor's eye? Whose magic was given to him by Morgana? That probably had something to do with it."

"Yeah, but there had to be something else. Or else I would've been transported back with every one of Angor's shots."

Toby shrugged. "Well, you're here now. No need to worry about it. So, tell me what was so important that you couldn't talk to me and Dr. L this morning and had to scare the shit out of us instead?"

"The amulet. I needed to see if it had been replaced too."

"And?"

"It wasn't." This was where he made his way to the door, putting his hoodie, sweat pants and bandages back on. It was dusk outside now, but he didn't want to take any chances. "And I need your advice on how to keep going. I have a vague idea, but you have a way of helping me with plans." He glanced back at his short friend. "You coming or not?"

Toby immediately ran out the door and down the stairs. "I'm going out, Nana! I'll be back before curfew."

"Oh, that's fine Toby-Pie! And who were you talking to upstairs all this time? Was it Jim?"

Jim was able to get down the stairs silently. "Uh, no Nana, it was another friend. I do have more than one!"

"No you don't."

To save Toby from further embarrassment, he stepped into the backyard, Toby quickly following. Toby closed and locked the door, turning to Jim after. "So where are we going?"

Jim warily eyed the patches of sun between the trees, an arm further shading his head. "I buried the amulet next to a tree. I didn't want anyone to hear it calling as they stumbled past it." He kneeled on the ground. "Get on."

Toby excitedly climbed up on his back. "Who is it calling to? Also, how the heck are you so quiet?"

"The armor only makes noise when I want it to. Or at least, that's what it's been doing since I got turned." Securing toby to his back, he stood up. "Who it's calling to is what I need your help with."

He crouched down and leaped over the fence after making sure no one could see them. He started jumping through the trees as fast as he could, and he could distinctly hear Toby nearly screaming "Ohmygosh, ohmygosh, ohmygosh!" He grinned under the wrapping on his face.

* * *

He slowed down once they neared the trees that he had buried the amulet between. He dropped to the ground, where he transferred Toby to his arms, putting him on the ground. He grinned wider as Toby stumbled around, looking a bit green. Quietly, to the point where he almost missed it, came the muffled call of the amulet. _**"Claire… Nuñez…"**_

He glared at the slightly raised mound. Toby looked around, frowning slightly. "So where is it?"

Jim shoved his hand through the earth that he had packed over the amulet and pull it out. He shook off all the dirt and handed it to Toby. He looked at it, fascinated by the glow. "Okay, but who is it calling-"

He was cut off as it called again. **"Claire… Nuñez…"**

The amulet practically flew out of Toby's hands as he shouted. He had thrown it into the air out of the shock it had given him, Jim managing to grab it before it could manage to get anywhere. Toby panted, his eyes wide with the sudden adrenaline. "Jesus Christ, I wasn't expecting that. Ho-lee shit, I think I need a second to breathe." He leaned against his knees as he tried to get his breath back under control.

As Toby tried to quell his fight-or-flight response, Jim shoved the amulet back in the hole and re-packed the dirt around it, making sure that no one would hear it. He frowned, a sudden thought coming to him. _'Can Blinky track the amulet?'_ Now _that_ would be an extremely awkward conversation. He resolved to try and get Toby out of there as soon as possible so that he could get the amulet somewhere that he knew the trolls couldn't get to, even in nighttime.

Toby, finally breathing normally again, grabbed his arm. "Claire is the new Trollhunter?!"

"Yeah, it was a bit of a surprise for me too. It actually called my name first, but then changed in the middle of it to call to Claire instead."

"It must've sensed that you were already taken or something. How does that work if there aren't any other amulets?"

"I don't know. Right now, the more pressing question is how do I give this to Claire? I could just leave it somewhere that she would be sure to find it, or I could give her the full explanation."

"Which would you have preferred if it was you, not knowing anything about this whole hidden world?"

Jim had to admit that his partner had a valid point. He would have preferred a full explanation. His train of thought broke off as he heard the amulet faintly call again. Glaring at it again, he moved further away, while still debating with himself as to whether he had enough courage to face a Claire that wouldn't even know his name.

He looked at Toby, shook his head, and sighed. "Why do you always have to force me to do the right thing?"

Toby's grin was infectious. "Who else is going to tell you what to do?"

"My mom."

"Ah. Fair point." Toby looked like he had an uncomfortable thought, as he started shifting his weight on his feet and looked away from him. Thankfully, he spoke of his own accord. "Are you gonna tell her about it?"

Now it was Jim's turn to be uncomfortable. "I don't know. I'm going to make sure that she knows I'm alive either way, but I don't want to drag her into all of this again. At the same time, I don't want to hurt her like my dad did." He shook it off. "Claire, though, Tobes. We're talking about Claire right now, one that doesn't know me and that hasn't ever seen anything extraordinary."

"Oh no, she definitely knows your name."

"What are you talking about? The second time I talked to her, which would be a couple days from now, she called me Tim."

"Once she heard about you going missing, she was actually crying. Don't know why, because like you said, you've never even talked before, but she was."

Jim ran his human hand through his hair. "That complicates things. I don't know what -" He stopped in the middle of his sentence. Then he jumped over to the amulet, ripped it out of the ground, and grabbed Toby and swung him onto his back. "Someone's here and I don't think they're friendly. I'm getting you out of here."

Jim propelled the two of them into the trees, just as he heard a roar that sounded like AAARRRGGHH!, and he almost stopped. He wanted so badly to go back to them, all his instincts telling him that these were his packmates, people that he should trust and confide in. He knew, however, that AAARRRGGHH! and Blinky did not have the same instincts and would not hesitate to try and pulverize him. He had, after all, stolen their most powerful artifact, and the only thing that was keeping Gunmar locked away.

A quick glance back revealed that AAARRRGGHH! was most definitely serious, his outlines carving glowing the poisonous green that they did when he needed to fight. He couldn't spot Blinky, but he knew that wherever the mossy giant was, Blinky wasn't far behind.

He quickly returned Toby to his house. "Just get inside and go to sleep. They won't come near your house, it might reveal them to humans. I made sure that they didn't see you, but if you ever get close to them, they'll be able to match your scent to the one in the clearing."

Toby nodded frantically, already jumping inside his house and locking the door behind him. Jim heard Toby tell his Nana to keep the cats inside tonight, and then continued with his original plan. Which was hiding in the basement of his mom's house again. What he told Toby was fairly accurate, they wouldn't invade the homes of a human that they didn't know. They only got near him throughout the day because he held the amulet, and this time around he made sure to stay outside, where they wouldn't be able to follow him until the sun went down.

He had also covered his own scent earlier, finding a patch of flowers and rubbing them on the inside of his clothes. Making a small detour, Jim went to find a small river in the forest that he could soak himself in to cleanse himself of the flower smell, which would make it even harder to track him.

Looking around to the front of the house, he noticed that his mother's car was nowhere to be found. The garage was closed, but she never parked in there. Just to make absolutely certain, though, he peeked in all the windows of the house to make sure that she wasn't in it. This was consistent with his first time living this day, since the trolls had been able to get in his basement without any trouble, and he had been knocked out until the next morning.

He found the key and opened the door cautiously, straining to hear any heartbeats that could be in the house. When he heard none, Jim quickly closed and re-locked the door, making his way to the basement as soon as he could. He jumped into the rafters again, just in case the trolls managed to find him anyway.

Settling into the ceiling, he noticed how tired he was. The exhaustion of constantly jumping around in the tress between talking and planning was getting to him. _'I don't know whether to be happy that I can still sleep and dream or be annoyed that I still get tired. The other trolls never seem to sleep.'_ Checking how well he was hidden and finding it acceptable, he closed his eyes and drifted off into a fitful sleep.

* * *

He seemed to be dreaming. At least, he knew that he was asleep, so he assumed that it was a dream. He didn't know another situation in which he would be calmly staring down Morgana.

"So, the mutt lives. And I am somehow imprisoned once more. Would you care to explain how that is?" She talked very casually, and he got the sense that she would be examining her nails if she wasn't currently facing him. Then what she said processed in his head.

"Wait, you came back too?" His mind was reeling from that discovery. He knew as soon as she started talking that this definitely wasn't a normal dream. Too much magical energy swirling around him.

"Came back? From what? And 'too,' hm. What have you and I come back from?"

"How are you even talking to me if you're just an ornament again?" Jim felt a painful sensation from within himself, as if his soul had been doused in liquid nitrogen. He resolutely ignored the pain, refusing to give Morgana the satisfaction.

"You can't expect to just absorb someone's magic and not gain a connection with them. I do seem to have lost my bridge with your little mate. A pity, she had such potential. But you, on the other hand…"

"Leave Claire out of this. You won't be getting your hands on her again."

"I don't think I'll need to. I won't need some pathetic human. Not with you. Even without you, I can feel my champion, still resting in my temple… Ah! That's what we've come back from isn't it? Time! Oh, this will be such fun."

He snarled at her, the pain finally dissipating. "Which one of us is imprisoned again?"

"A minor setback, one that will be fixed now that I know the happenings of the world. The Janus Order will be all too happy to infiltrate Merlin's tomb, and they will easily be able to get into Trollmarket, what with all the fools refusing to acknowledge the threats around them. And you… Well, now that I can see your potential, things are going to be a bit different."

"What potential?"

She threw back her head and laughed. "You don't even know! No wonder you put up such a miserable fight!" Her laughter subsiding, she smirked at him. "You know, the Eternal Night is for all trolls who cannot walk in the light of day… If you joined me, do you know how easy this will be? I can make you stronger than you ever were before; I can train in the ways of the darkness."

Jim summoned eclipse to his hand. "I don't think so." He threw the sword at her with as much force as he could muster.

As soon as the sword collided, he shot up into wakefulness. And then fell out of his perch in the ceiling. Groaning, he got up and brushed himself off. Anger was coursing through him, overwhelming his thoughts. Jim roared, slamming his fists into the ground and walls. After the knuckles on his uncovered hand had begun to slightly bleed, he actively tried to calm himself down, taking deep breaths. In his mind, one thought kept repeating itself.

Morgana will die.


	3. Now There Are Two of Them

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters is owned by Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

The first thing Jim did after calming down was make his way to Toby's house. It was still night outside, and he was still exhausted. He did, however, check for any troll tracks near their houses while he made his way over.

There weren't any that he could find, but that didn't rule out the possibility of them being covered. Nevertheless, Jim hurried onwards to Toby's backdoor. Once he got there, though, he stopped. He didn't want to disturb Toby, not when he had just dumped all that on him. Toby needed sleep. Jim turned away, intent on going back to his own house when he heard the door open behind him.

Jim turned around, muscles already tensing, ready to get the hell out of there if he needed to. But it was just Toby. A very tired Toby in his pajamas. He yawned into his hand, and then motioned with his head for Jim to get inside. Jim stepped through the threshold, turning to Toby as he closed the door.

When he looked at Toby, the first thing that he saw was that his eyes were only halfway open and that he had massive bags under them. In a whisper as quiet as he could muster, he asked, "Have you gotten any sleep at all?"

Toby shook his head, and then started on his way upstairs. At the top of the stairs, he beckoned for Jim to follow him. Jim raised an eyebrow but followed him despite his confusion.

Once they were both safely in Toby's room, he closed the door behind them and then went and laid back on his bed. Jim sat awkwardly in the middle of his floor. After a couple minutes of silence, he cleared his throat to get Toby's attention. "Why are you still awake?"

Toby turned onto his side, looking at him. "You can't just tell me that the trolls 'probably' won't come near me, despite them being able to smell me! I've been turned into some paranoid shut-in, checking the windows every couple minutes so that they won't come to eat me," he said in a harsh whisper.

Jim almost laughed, but he was able to curb the urge into a simple grin instead. He almost wanted to nuzzle him but was fairly certain that was part of the troll instincts that should be ignored. "Toby, these trolls fought a war against another clan of trolls because they ate humans. They would never eat you."

"You saying that and me understanding it are two different things. Did you hear that roar? I almost had another heart attack!"

"That was actually AAARRRGGHH!, your wingman."

" _That's_ the one that was protecting me? No wonder I was so confident."

"Yeah. Anyways, I came here for a different reason. What do you have going on today?"

"Dentist appointment later, but that's it."

Jim smacked his forehead. "Right, I remember that. An eight hour long appointment. I mean, who the hell has eight hour long dentist appointments?"

"Someone who wants to get their braces off before they're thirty."

"Getting off track again." Jim shook his head. "Apparently someone else came back in time with me."

Toby shot up, fully awake now. "What? Who? How?"

Jim shushed him. "Keep it down, your Nana is still asleep." Toby had the decency to look sheepish. "It's not good. It was, well. Morgana is back too."

Toby started to have a nervous breakdown in his bed, burying himself under the covers, repeating 'ohmygosh, ohmygosh' to himself. He poked his head out. "How do you know?"

"I had a dream that wasn't a dream. We spoke. And now I think I know what to do." He took a deep breath. "I need you to get Claire and my mom together in the same place so that I can talk to them. It'll be easier if they're both there."

Toby covered put his head in his hands. "Okay. I can get your mom easily enough, say that I know something about your location or whatever. But Claire… what should I say to her?"

"Maybe that you want to tell Councilwoman Nuñez something about me but you're too shy to talk to her directly?"

Toby gave him a look. "You've been thinking about this, haven't you?"

"An hour or two, yeah. I know how I'm going to handle it, so don't worry about that. My only problem is that if I'm right about Blinky, then he'll be there pretty soon with AAARRRGGHH! after we start." Jim nervously grabbed a horn with his human hand.

"Right, your troll dad."

"Yeah, and I don't know how I'm going to deal with that."

"Why not just tell them too?" When Toby saw the look Jim was giving him, he glared. "I'm serious. Their only beef with you is that you've got the amulet, right? So, when they see that Claire has the amulet, they should calm down?" It was meant to be a statement, but the way he trailed off made it seem like a question.

"That's… Actually, that's not a bad idea at all. I knew there was a reason that I kept you around."

Toby flipped his hair back, now out of his blankets. "Besides my model looks and magnetic personality, you mean?" They both laughed quietly at that.

Toby held out a fist. "So, plan is set?"

Jim bumped it. "You bet."

"It's still going to have to wait until after my appointment, though."

Jim sighed.

* * *

After Jim closed his eyes, he opened them to a stunningly beautiful woman in a yellow dress. She had long black hair, but what gave her away was how pale she was. It was as if her skin had never seen the light of day. He instantly crouched into a defensive position, summoning Eclipse to one hand and his shield, which had changed covering his entire forearm and hand, to the other. There was no time to examine the changes, though. He started growling threateningly at her.

"Now now, we can use our words like civilized beings, can't we?" asked Morgana in a teasing tone.

Jim had decided that since trolls died in daylight, it was probably a good idea for him to start becoming nocturnal. He had been sleeping ever since Toby had left for his dentist appointment, hiding in Toby's room. They had spent a couple hours during the night playing video games, Jim remembering all the great times they had back when he was human.

"Why did you bring me back here?" His ears actually flattened against his skull as she started circling around him. He filed it into the 'weird troll things I'll figure out later' part of his mind.

"That's the most interesting thing. I didn't actually call you here, this appears to be all you." She stopped moving, putting her hands on her hips instead. "I do have one small question for you, though."

"Yeah? What's that?" He discretely summoned one of his knives into the hand hidden behind his shield, just in case he needed it.

Morgana exploded with a burst of power, her armor forming around her and her eyes turning black and yellow. More refined than Claire's when she was possessed, as she had actual pupils. **"What did you do with my power?!"** Her voice reverberated through his mind, and Jim fell to his knees clutching his head. Eclipse and his knife clattered to ground beside him.

As suddenly as the pain had come, it disappeared. Although Morgana was still blazing with a yellow fire, the darkness swirling behind her, he got the impression that it was more a display than anything else. He shakily got to his feet, re-summoning Eclipse and his knife. "Aww, what's wrong? Did you lose something?" Gaining confidence at her lack of smiting, he continued. "Where was the last time you saw it?"

"When it struck you," she hissed, practically spitting venom at him. He grinned widely.

"You shoved that much power in me? Can you even talk to the Janus order?" She remained glaring. He started laughing. Softly at first, but it developed into a full-on belly laugh. There was no humor in it, just satisfaction. "You can't, can you? Oh, this is rich! You're even worse off than you were before! You're just like Merlin now, aren't you?"

"Don't you ever compare me to that bastard!" She screamed at him, but her magic diminished behind her. She desperately looked back, trying to conjure it back up. When she looked back, she made a choking sound.

Jim lifter her up by her neck, as she scrabbled desperately at his arm. She was much smaller than him now, and lifting her to his eye level easily brought her two feet off the ground. She kicked at him, but her feet only glanced off his armor. Morgana looked into his eyes, fear filling her face.

"It's been a long time since you felt this powerless, hasn't it?" he whispered. He brought her closer to his face, squeezing a bit harder. Her face started to turn blue and was swelling, completely unable to breathe.

Just before she passed out, he dropped her. She fell to the floor, inhaling air greedily. Eclipse buried itself in the ground just before her eyes, and she looked back up at him, chest heaving as her eyes widened with fear.

He leaned down, putting his just next to hers. "I should kill you. I honestly don't know if I can, as this is a dream. But maybe I should try anyways."

Morgana scrabbled away from him, not bothering to get up. The flat plain of grey between them didn't give her anything to hide behind, though, and she stopped only a few feet away from him.

He sighed and pulled the oversized cleaver from the ground. This wasn't Jim, and he knew that. The rage was coursing through him with such power that he felt as if it had replaced his blood. He stared at his reflection in Eclipse, trying to get himself back under control. The question of what to do with Morgana remained, however.

Several minutes passed, allowing Jim to regain himself. Turning back to Morgana, he was just about to ask Morgana a simple question of why when he saw her flying through the air towards him.

His helmet suddenly encased his head, and he felt armor slide over his troll hand, engulfing him completely. The process took less than a second, and when Morgana hit him she just bounced off. Landing in a heap on the ground, she rubbed her head and looked up at him with a glare.

Jim blinked under his helmet. "What are you- did you just try to possess me?" He was now completely bewildered.

"That accursed amulet! I will pull out your spine and wear it as a crown, tark!" Morgana stood up and actually spat at him this time.

Jim felt a bit of confusion. He wasn't quite sure what a tark was, but he knew it wasn't good if she was calling him it. When he looked at her, though, he felt pity. Out of her armor, she was just a scared woman using anger as a defense. Jim sighed. "This is getting old."

Morgana started on an expansive tirade as he sat down. He was getting impressed at her creativity, completely ignoring that they were insults. After a couple minutes of her yelling at him, but keeping a good distance, he tiredly raised a hand. She stopped, raising an eyebrow at him. He took a breath. "Look, if you and I are going to see each other every time I sleep, we're going to need to figure something out. Either that or I see if killing works here."

She held her hands up. "That… is something I would rather not learn." An ornate chair formed out of the eternal gray behind her which she sat in. She crossed one leg over the other.

Raising an eyebrow and standing, Jim tried to copy her, imagining a bean bag that he could rest in. One formed behind him, and after testing its consistency, he sat in it and leaned back. "So… let's talk."

She sniffed disdainfully. "And what would you be interested in talking about?"

"Why did you-" A blinding white filled his vision, and he closed his eyes until the spots left them, leaping into a defensive position with his shield in front of him. When he opened them, he found Toby's room instead of Morgana leaping to kill him. He heard the front door open, and Toby greeted his Nana. Sitting down, Jim put his head in his hands, wondering just what Merlin had turned him into.

* * *

When Toby walked into his room, he noticed Jim sitting on the floor, cradling his head. "You okay, dude?"

Jim looked up at him. "Morgana being there whenever I sleep is apparently a thing."

Toby winced sympathetically. "Should we put off the Claire and Dr. L thing until later then?"

Jim waved him off. "No, I think that'll make me feel better."

Toby nodded, typing rapidly in his phone. He sent both texts before he looked back at Jim, who still had his head in his hands. He put a hand on his shoulder. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Jim shook his head. Toby squeezed his shoulder, letting him know that he was there. Jim smiled at him.

He would always thank whatever god was out there for Toby.

Toby's phone buzzed. He pulled it back out of his pocket, saying, "That was Claire. She said that she would be there."

Jim stood up. "When did you tell her to get there?"

"Fifteen minutes." His phone buzzed again. "Dr. L. She said that she's on her way right now."

"Alright." Jim opened the door. "We'd better get in the house fast, then."

Toby nodded. Toby went down the stairs, checking for his Nana. "She's asleep in front of the TV." Jim went down the stairs two at a time. They both went out the backdoor and headed for Jim's house.

Going in through the backdoor, Jim went down the stairs into the basement while Toby stayed upstairs. He heard Toby's heartrate speeding up, and he could smell his perspiration. He couldn't worry about that right now, though. Jim trusted Toby.

In the basement, he heard the amulet faintly call to Claire through the wooden box and blankets he stuffed it into. He knew that a human wouldn't hear it, though.

After settling into the part of the ceiling that he had slept in earlier, he completely stilled himself. Then he waited.

Toby's heartrate calmed down a bit by the time Claire got there. She came early, ten minutes instead of five passing. He could hear her asking him something, but he wasn't focusing on that. Just the sound of her voice.

His own heart sped up at his girlfriend's voice, and he only hoped that he could restrain himself from greeting her the way he wanted to. He heard the door open again, interrupting their conversation. His mother rushed in, running from the sound of her footsteps.

Toby led them downstairs, using some excuse about not wanting to be seen by the kidnappers. Jim's nervous energy skyrocketed, butterflies trying to burst from his stomach. Through a titanic force of will, he managed to remain still as Toby opened the door.

Once they were all in the middle of the basement, where Jim could clearly see them, Toby stopped. He let out a breath and turned around to look at the panicked faces of the two girls. Barbara rushed forward and grabbed him by his shoulders. "Where is my son, Toby? Please, he's the only thing I have left…" She started crying again.

Toby cleared his throat. "Uh, Jimbo, whenever you wanna come out, that's fine with me." Both girls froze, and then looked around frantically. Jim sighed, and nimbly leapt onto the floor, his armor in full view and glowing fiercely, reacting to his emotional state.

Claire screamed, and his mother covered her mouth. Jim grabbed a horn again. "Uh, hey mom. Hey, Claire. We, uh, need to talk." Claire fell to the ground, unconscious. Barbara shook herself off, visibly steeling herself before walking up to him.

And slapping him.

Granted, it hurt her a lot more than it hurt him, and she immediately cursed and grabbed her hand. Jim wrenched it from her, rolling his eyes. "Really, mom?" The palm wasn't scraped, and while it was turning red, there didn't appear to be bruising. He looked back up, to see that she was staring at him. Realizing what he did, he dropped her hand. "Oh, uh, sorry, I just-" He quieted when she laid a hand on his cheek.

"It _is_ you," she said, almost whispering. Jim nodded, lifting his human hand to press against hers, but faltering at the last moment. She looked down, noticing that one of them only had four fingers. She looked back into his eyes, her concern tangible.

"What happened to you?"

"That's what we need to talk about."

Toby spoke up from his position kneeling next to Claire. "As heartwarming as this is, can someone medically qualified make sure that she's okay?"

Barbara rolled her eyes but made her way over to them nonetheless. She kneeled next to Toby, opening an eye and turning her head. "She's fine. Jim, could you grab a couple blankets? Laying on the floor isn't exactly comfortable."

"Sure, mom." He grabbed a blanket that he had wrapped around the box with the amulet. As if responding, the amulet called to Claire again.

His mom startled upwards. "What was that?" Jim glared back at the box, mumbling obscenities towards it under his breath. His own amulet pulsed, almost as if agreeing with him.

"The reason that Claire is here. I'll explain everything when she wakes up, because I've already done this once and it took hours." He gave Toby a sideways glance, his mother catching the look.

"You! How long have you known about Jim?!" His mother did not sound very happy with Toby, and he leaned back as she pointed a hand in his face.

"Uh, since he came to me yesterday afternoon…?" That was apparently the wrong answer to Barbara, as she immediately turned on Jim.

"You went to your friend instead of your own mother?!"

He huffed nervously, a small whine building in the back of his throat. As soon as he noticed it, he tried to stop it, but found he couldn't. Toby and his mother were starting to look at him weirdly. He tried to talk, get the attention off him somehow. "I'll explain that one too, mom." As if on cue, Claire groaned, her hands massaging her head as he eyes fluttered open. She sat up, still rubbing her head, and opened her eyes. Upon seeing Jim, she screamed again.

His ears flattened against his head, and his eyes flitted towards the floor. He felt a wave of shame build up in him as his mom and Toby tried to get her to stop screaming. He looked down at his hands, noting the trollish one in disgust. He formed fists with both hands, tight enough that he felt the pain of his armor and nails digging into his palms.

"Jim?" came Toby's soft voice. "You okay?"

He looked up, Claire had stopped screaming, now only staring at him, her body language and scent screaming fear, as she pressed herself into the pole behind her. His mother and Toby both looked at him with concern.

"Yeah," he said, though his tone didn't convince either of them. Not wanting to deal with emotions right now, though, he went and grabbed the box. It had called twice since he had gotten the blanket and called again now. He rolled his eyes and opened it.

Taking out the amulet, he tossed it to Toby. He motioned with his head for him to give it to her. Toby sighed, his shoulders sagging. He tapped Claire gently on the shoulder, holding out the amulet for her to take.

She stared at it warily before gingerly taking it from his hands and looked back up at Jim. "Turn it over," he said. She turned it so the faceplate was facing her. "Read the words around the rim."

She frowned. "How? I think that's Latin- wait, it changed! But those are engraved? How did it change?" Her heartbeat picked up speed again, and she looked up to him.

"Please, just read the words out loud."

She looked back down. "Oh…kay. Um, for the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command?" She gasped as light gripped her and lifted her into the air. Barbara covered her mouth, this time an expression of wonder on her face.

Oversized armor pieces formed around Claire, eventually slamming onto her body. Only her hair was exposed. The armor then resized itself to fit her snugly.

Her right shoulder glowed, and the light trailed down to her hand. A troll-sized copy of Daylight appeared in her hand, and the weight of it forced it to embed itself in the ground. It shrunk to fit itself to Claire's size. Her eyes widened, her mouth dropping.

Jim laughed to himself a bit, wondering if he looked as surprised as he did the first time he summoned Daylight.

Toby was also watching in awe, glancing at Jim occasionally. When the transformation finished, he rushed over to Jim, lifting his arms to examine his armor. "Dude! Is that how you transform into yours? That's so cool! It's just like Sailor Moon!"

Claire spoke up. "What is all of this?" She started patting herself down, feeling her armor. Seeing the sword, she grasped the handle and yanked on it. When it didn't budge, she grabbed the handle with both hands and pulled harder, managing to pull it out of the ground and sticking it into the wall instead.

Jim started laughing, remembering that during his first time summoning it he had done the exact same thing. Claire turned to glare at him, putting her hands on her hips and saying, "Hey, are you going to watch and laugh or are you going to help?"

Jim strode over, noting how she didn't flinch away from him when he came near her. As small as it was, he counted it as a victory and let it lift his spirits. His hand wrapped around Daylight's hilt, and he felt something odd holding. Dismissing the feeling, he pulled it out of the wall with no effort and handed it to her. A quick glance showed that it only went through stone, no wires or beams.

His ears flicked as he heard the back door opening. Jim turned to the others. "We're about o have guests, please don't panic when you see them. Claire, could you give me Daylight?" Seeing her look of confusion, he elaborated. "The sword." She nodded and handed it to him.

It felt far too small for him. Still, he lifted it before him. When the Blinky quietly opened the stairs, the first thing he saw was Daylight. "Ah good, you've already used the amulet!" He exclaimed, clapping his four hands together. His six eyes blinked out of synch, the action so familiar that Jim wanted nothing more than to hug his surrogate father.

Claire screamed again. The loud noise startled Blinky into examining the room, noticing three humans and some… thing. He also noticed that it was the smaller female who was wearing the Daylight armor, and the thing was wearing a similar armor, but it was red and black.

He blinked again.

AAARRRGGHH! then stuck his face into the doorframe, a large grin adorning it. "Hello," he said in his rumbling voice. Blinky motioned for the Krubera to come down the stairs as he moved down them himself.

As AAARRRGGHH! struggled his way through the doorframe, Blinky warily surveyed Jim. Walking around him, he slipped his lower pair of arms into the knapsacks on either side of him. Jim knew very well what he kept in those.

Edging backwards slowly, as to not set off the dwärkstone-slinging troll, he carefully handed Daylight back to Claire. Blinky observed the action, carefully pulling his arms out of the sacks. AAARRRGGHH! finally managed his way down the stairs, smiling at the humans.

Toby's mouth hung open, and Barbara carefully picked up the fire poker near the furnace. It was at that moment that Blinky focused all his attention on Jim. "What are you?"

"My name is James Lake Jr. I'm the Trollhunter."

"Preposterous! The amulet clearly called for Claire Nuñez, not James… hold on. It did call for a James Lake, but it stopped. That normally only happens if the called one is dead!"

Jim lifted his right arm, calling up Eclipse. The humans gasped, and the trolls leaned back warily. "Or he already has his own amulet."

Blinky blinked. "But how…? And why is your armor different?"

"I was just about to explain that to the humans. Do you want to listen in, too?"

Blinky patted his companion's arm. "I believe it would be best that AAARRRGGHH and I heard this story, yes." Everyone found something to sit on, and Blinky plopped down on the arm of his giant companion.

* * *

He was able to get through the story without being interrupted this time, as Toby had already heard it. His mother listened with concern, Claire in wonder, and he couldn't really gauge the two trolls' reactions.

He left out anything having to do with his relationship with Claire or Blinky, not wanting to pressure them into starting anything with him out of some sense of guilt or pity.

When he was done, a silence fell over the group. Jim looked around nervously, his stomach feeling queasy with nervous energy, waiting for them to react.

Blinky stood up. He walked over to Jim, circling him and lifting his arms as if he was examining him. Eventually, he grabbed the half-troll's chin and turned his head this way and that, peering at him more closely. He even looked inside of his mouth. Once he as done with his examination, though, he did unthinkable.

He hugged Jim.

Shocked, Jim didn't return the hug, nor did he move. His eyes were wide, and his mouth fell open. Blinky gently butted his head with his own forehead, which prompted the rise of some instinct within him, forcing him to butt back with a small yip in his throat.

Blinky nearly laughed. Instead, he hummed, and gently brought Jim back in front of him by his shoulders. "Yes, I thought so," he said, a smile on his face. "There is no need to worry, son. I am proud of you."

Jim's eyes flitted to his own. "How did you know?"

"The way you kept glancing at me throughout your story, as if seeking my approval. It's a common action among troll children."

At this point, Barbara spoke up in confusion. "Wait a minute here, Jim's father is a human."

"Surrogate dad, mom." He sighed. "He told me that's what he saw me as after I got turned into… this." He turned back to Blinky. "What was that thing with butting heads that we just did?"

"A familial greeting, one in which you, the son, defer respect to me, the father. It's instinctual, and not something that you would have been capable of doing had your story not been true."

"Oh." He shifted his weight from foot to foot. Then glanced over at Claire, who seemed to be deep in thought. "Claire?" She looked up at him. "You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm just… trying to process everything here." She laughed a bit. "Guess I'm going to have to cancel that play."

"But you've really wanted it for such a long time!"

"I think this is a bit more important." She shrugged. "It's not that bad. I mean, instead of the play, now I get to learn sword fighting and magic. That's a pretty good trade to me!"

Jim held back all the things he wanted to say, like 'you're really going to regret that statement in a very small amount of time.'

AAARRRGGHH! leaned forward and sniffed Jim. Then he also headbutted him, a rumbling in the back of his throat. "Brother," he said. Jim reciprocated in kind, nuzzling him before pulling back.

Blinky clapped his hands together. "Well! I do believe that we have all learned quite a bit from this encounter. It would be for the best if we were all to retreat to our own domiciles in order to digest the information. Perhaps we should all meet here tomorrow night, where the Trollhunters can be taken to Trollmarket?"

Barbara shook her head. "I don't think so. If my son is going to be going in there, then so am I."

Toby agreed with her. "Yeah! I'm not leaving Jimbo to go in there alone! Every adventure, it's always us together! Right, Jimbo?"

Jim laughed. "You bet, Tobes."

Claire cleared her throat, then piped up from her spot. "Maybe we should talk about the Darklands then, too." Everyone in the room looked pointedly at Jim, who rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously.

"Uh, maybe we can just not do that?"

"Oh no, mister. If you think that you can get away with recklessly throwing yourself into danger, you've got another thing coming." Barbara crossed her arms, glaring at him.

Jim sighed. Again.

* * *

 **AN: I know that Jim is out of character with Morgana, but what do you expect? He's not the same Jim he used to be.**


	4. There Goes the Blender

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

Barbara didn't quite know what to think about everything that had just happened.

So her son was no longer human. Okay. That didn't change too much for her, she would love him no matter what he was. But some sort of troll knight? One that constantly put himself in danger? That's where she got iffy on the whole ordeal. But what she drew the line on was that she was romantically involved with one of his worst enemies.

Well, at first, anyways. According to Jim, Strickler didn't stay that way for long.

Still, as she lay awake in her bed, staring at the ceiling, some of this just didn't make sense to her. It made both her head and her heart ache. Why did her son have to be the one who took all the blows for meant for Earth? Why couldn't he be human anymore? Why did he have to carry the world on his shoulders? And all she could do in return was hope and pray that he wasn't crushed under the weight.

Toby lay on his bed, sleeping soundly. He was dreaming of adventures he hadn't yet had, but he was very much looking forward to. The dreams were filled with a flaming war hammer, his newly transformed half-troll best friend at his back and enemies on all sides. He and Jim exchanged wide grins before going to work.

For Toby, all was right in the world, and tomorrow was an eagerly anticipated journey.

Claire was having issues of her own.

Wide awake in her own bed, she held the glowing amulet up to her face. It shined on her, pulsing as she brought it closer, examining its internal functions. After a few minutes, she set it on her nightstand, giving a brief yawn and settling into her bed. She couldn't seem to get to sleep, though, no matter what she did. These trolls seemed like they could very easily tear her apart, and she was meant to be fighting them on a near-constant basis according to Jim. She didn't admire her own prospects, despite what she said earlier about quitting the play.

From Jim's story though, she knew that refusing the amulet would be a futile gesture. She didn't know if she should even believe it, but everyone else was convinced, and it was hard to ignore the evidence that was presented in front of her face. It was also fairly hard to ignore the fact that according to the half-troll's story, she was one of his closest friends.

She was one of her _crush's_ closest friends.

That was a very hard thing to ignore, and despite what he had said earlier about her mistaking him as 'Tim' she most definitely knew who he was, and that he had a massive crush on her. He was about as subtle with his staring as that mossy giant was coming down the stairs. Her friends were also very aware of her feelings on him, and why she felt that way. He was so genuine in everything that he did, and even if he wasn't the most academically accomplished, he always tried his hardest.

Which brought her to the issue of her own friends, Darci and Mary. Should she tell them or not? Jim said that he told Toby, his best friend, right off the bat. That means that she could bring in her own help, right? Besides, if she wasn't going to be with them as often as she used to be, they deserved to know why.

Even without her friends, though, there was the problem of her family. She was not going to let her infant brother get stolen by goblins, even if it did bring another who would eventually be like a brother in his place. Her parents weren't too much of a problem; if it didn't directly involve her mother or her reputation, then she didn't care. Her father was kind, but he too was absent-minded and easy enough to get off her back.

In any case, she was too tired right now to really think about it now. She turned over, determined to get some sleep before the sun rose.

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! returned to Trollmarket with the use of the horngazel in Blinky's bag. Both were silent, but for largely different reasons. AAARRRGGHH! was simply happy to have new friends, and he was enjoying the companionable silence. Blinky, however, was thinking. Planning.

Vendel wouldn't like this. He was a traditional troll, though that came with his great age. He would need to tutor the two in troll manners in order to gain the acceptance of the ancient leader of Trollmarket. Unfortunately, there wasn't much time for teaching, as he would have to bring back the Trollhunters tomorrow in order to make sure that the general population wouldn't panic from the lack of their protectors. Although, he thought to himself, once they saw _what_ their new protectors were, they might panic anyways. Draal would certainly be displeased that someone other than him had been chosen by the amulet, as Master Jim had said.

On the topic of Master Jim, there was much to ruminate. An adoptive son? While certainly unexpected by Blinky, he found that the idea was not an unwelcome one. In fact, it was quite pleasing. A companion in which he taught and could actually be proud of one, one that appreciated him and respected him. And more importantly, family. That was something he had not had for a long time. While AAARRRGGHH! was more than family to him, he simply did not have the capacity to keep up with Blinky mentally. It was no fault of his, Gunmar would certainly stunt any whelp's growth.

The news of his brother's survival and alliance with the Gumm-Gumms was disconcerting, however. He had half a mind to burn all of the traitor's books, if they weren't as helpful as they were to past Trollhunters and Jim. He was glad to know that his brother did attempt to redeem himself in the end, although he didn't know if his brother could ever truly clean his hands of the dust that he now knew coated them.

Hmm. This would require more thought.

Jim's mind was a veritable hurricane right now. All of his emotions felt as if they were conflicting with each other, his very being contradicting himself. Th only thing keeping him from destroying the room was the fact that it was _his_ room.

His mother had refused to let him sleep in the basement, saying that his idiotic butt had better be in bed when she checked on him. He got the feeling that she wasn't going to let the Darklands thing go for a while. She forced him to promise that he wouldn't be going anywhere until they talked in the morning.

He was sorely tempted to break his promise. He was confused, happy, angry, terrified, nervous, calm, and depressed all at once. Jim didn't know what he should be feeling at this point. Claire was terrified of him, and that tore him apart. He felt like vomiting whenever he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror. His mother pitied him, that much was clear. She didn't want him to be gallivanting off into danger, the same way she hadn't in his past life. She seemed to understand that he needed to, though. That he was expendable when it came to the fate of the world.

Blinky had at least accepted him, though he knew that he didn't feel for Jim what the half-troll felt for him. Part of it was that Blinky wanted some proof of his story, and the other part was something that he couldn't discern. He knew that he was open to the relationship, but he had no basis for the emotions yet. AAARRRGGHH! however, was genuine. He probably did already accept Jim as his brother and was happy to have more friends. He always loved and envied the giant's simple outlook on life.

But everything else…

He hadn't told them of his plan. The plan to keep Angor Rot from being an enemy by making him an ally. He knew where Angor Rot currently was from stories Strickler had told him, but he never told him where he found the Inferna Copula. He had also warned Jim of the old world when he told him the stories. He said, _"The trolls are different there. Blood runs thicker than water, and while not as numerous as humanity, the troll population is still much larger than Trollmarket would imply."_

Knowing what he had to do didn't make it any easier though. Jim felt the weight of his teacher's name for him press his soul into the bed that had become much too small.

Sunday morning, Arcadia Oaks rose and went about their usual business. No one understand that the destiny of the world had just been fundamentally changed through the actions of a single half-troll. Six people, however, dreaded and anticipated what evening brought that day.

Toby woke up and immediately headed over to the Lakes' house. Knocking on the door, he bounced on the balls of his feet, so excited to tell Jim about his dreams and wanting to ask him more details of their adventures together. Specifically, his war hammer. He wanted a better reference to the magnificent weapon that he was having trouble imagining clearly.

Dr. Lake came to the door, unlocking the door and letting Toby in. She had prominent bags under her eyes, as if she had just worked a late-night shift at the hospital. He felt a bit of concern for her, but that was quickly overridden at the wonderful aroma that filled his nostrils. He inhaled deeply, letting a large grin spread over his face, revealing his teeth. "Is that _the_ chef Jim that I smell? Hooey, what gift has God delivered to your kitchen today – oh my god he's eating the blender."

Jim looked up, obviously startled. His mouth was full, and he had paused his chewing to look at Toby. Toby almost laughed at the sight; he looked like a kid that got caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He carefully swallowed his latest bite, sheepishly grinning at his pudgy friend. Toby had no desire to interrupt his meal and motioned for him to continue before he turned his attention to Barbara.

"You doin okay, Dr. L? You look like you've been doing twenty-four hour shifts for the past week."

She yawned but managed a tired smile. "Not this time, Toby. Just a little worried for the future." The _and Jim_ part went unspoken between them. They both turned to look at the kitchen, which for the moment was silent except for the crunching of glass. Toby turned a questioning gaze at her. She shrugged. "Apparently trolls require different nutrients. They can't digest human food properly, but they can digest manufactured goods. Apparently. And besides, I was going to get Jim a new blender for his birthday."

"The Food Magic 3000." Jim piped up from behind the kitchen wall, his voice muffled.

"Dammit, I forgot that he would know his presents." She mumbled something about how it wouldn't be useful anyways anymore, and he heard another pause in Jim's chewing.

A knock came at the door. They all startled. "It's just Claire," she announced. The two boys sighed in relief, and glass started to crunch in the kitchen again.

Barbara opened the door for Claire, welcoming her inside. Claire looked marginally better than Jim's mother, but didn't bother with pleasantries as she turned to Toby. "Where's Jim?" He analyzed her statement very quickly. She didn't sound angry; not at him, anyways. But she did sound very frustrated, and exhausted is never a healthy emotional state for anyone.

He hesitantly pointed over at the kitchen.

She nodded and marched over, walking in. "Jim, we need to – What in the hell are you- are you eating the _blender_?!"

"Uh," Toby heard him answer. "Yeah?" He sounded vaguely distressed.

Toby and Barbara exchanged quick looks. Then they rushed into the kitchen to make sure that Jim was okay. They found the half-troll sitting on the floor in the corner, with his legs hiding most of his chest. His expression was that of a cornered animal; slightly confused, terrified, and a bit angry. Toby had only seen Jim angry a couple times, and while it was usually more of angry meltdown crying than violence, he had no idea if being a half-troll had changed that. Still, he needed to get everyone out of the kitchen because Jim was obviously not comfortable with them there. "Hey, Claire," he said carefully, "Maybe one of us could help you right now." He caught the look of gratitude that Jim shot him.

Barbara put a hand on Claire's shoulder and pulled her out of the kitchen, a bit forcefully. Claire didn't resist. Toby gave Jim a nod and a grin before he followed the two of them. They all sat on the couch, the girls both looking lost. Toby sighed, but then Claire spoke up. "I'm sorry," she said. "I didn't know he ate… that now."

"He's cooking what we all usually eat, if you want to stick around." He grinned at her when they heard a crunch coming from the kitchen. "I'm sure he'd let you have some too."

"Made extra just in case she came." Jim's voice was muffled again.

"Jim Lake, what have I taught you about talking with your mouth full?"

He was distinctly silent for a few seconds. When he next spoke, his voice was clearer. "Uh… Not to?"

Barbara rolled her eyes. "Mom, I can hear you rolling your eyes at me." Jim seemed to be in a better mood. They heard the clanking of armor, which made Claire raise an eyebrow. He walked over to them, sitting next to his mom on the couch. Toby noticed that the girl gave a tiny shift away from him, making him mentally sigh. He knew that his friend was in a bad place, and while he didn't know what that place was, it probably wasn't being made any better by his future girlfriend being afraid of him.

Surprisingly enough though, it was the girl in question who broke the awkward silence that settled over them. She cleared her throat and tilted her head at Jim. "I thought your armor didn't make any noise. It didn't last night, at least."

The half-troll leaned back resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes. "Some weird thing about forcing the armor to do what I want. Usually, if I'm distressed or nervous, it won't make any noises so that I can hide better. Though I can't tell you when it started doing that, because it is a new thing." He stayed silent for another couple seconds. "Was there something that you wanted to ask me about, Claire?"

"O-oh yeah, I wanted to know if I could bring Darci and Mary in on this."

"Isn't Darci's dad a detective? Wouldn't he notice her disappearing all the time?" He opened an eye, turning his head slightly to look at her.

"Nah. He's fine with whatever she's doing as long as it's not too illegal and she doesn't get caught. On school nights she has to be in bed before eleven, but that's it."

"And Mary?"

"Her parents are pretty lax with her. She could tell them whatever she wanted, and they'd believe it, or at least won't question it."

"Hmm." He closed his eye and turned his head back. "Do me a favor though and don't tell them about the whole future thing. I'd like to keep that in as small of a circle as possible." Toby frowned at them.

"Hang on, is this really a good idea? I thought Vendel was opposed to humans being in Trollmarket, along with the rest of them. They accepted us two because they had two, but they nearly panicked when Claire showed up, or at least that's what you said."

"Well, they'll just have to accept a couple more this time."

"On top of absorbing that there are now two Trollhunters? You sure that's a good idea Jimbo?"

"Not really, but I do better winging it anyways." His sniffed, his ears twitching. "Ah, dinner's ready." He grinned and got up from the couch, disappearing into the kitchen. He came back with a pan full of chicken. Toby practically threw himself into a chair around their small table. Dinner a la Chef Jim? Score!

Jim laughed, and Toby glowed with happiness. As long as Jim was laughing, he was good. He eagerly awaited Jim's meal, rubbing his hands together. The half-troll set his masterpiece on the table. "Teriyaki chicken, and a salad with homemade dressing on the side. Spicy one is here for Toby, guac is here for Claire, and Mom, you can have whatever you want."

Speechless, Claire made her way to the table, staring at the amazing display of culinary skill. Toby smirked at her expression as she sat next to him, pulling the guacamole next to her plate. He was confused on one thing, though. "Guacamole on teriyaki chicken? Guacamole on salad? What is wrong with you?"

She sent an affronted look at him. "Guacamole is the greatest thing that has ever been created on this planet. I will not have a mere mortal like you insult such a gift from the gods."

The pudgy boy frowned as he saw Jim stiffen after her use of the word mortal. Seeing as Jim started walking away, he decided it was time to figure out what was going on. "Hey Jimbo, there's room for four at this table."

He stopped and turned around, looking like he was surprised at being offered a spot at his own table. "I, uh, already ate."

"I know that. We still want your company though, man. There's so much cool stuff about you that I haven't gotten to know yet."

Jim looked skeptically at them, looking to his mother. She nodded, taking about of her chicken and gesturing at the seat closest to the kitchen wall. He hesitated for a second before taking it, looking a bit awkward in the chair made for humans that were much smaller than him. Toby grinned at him before biting into his chicken.

Jim knew this was a bad idea. Claire was looking decidedly uncomfortable, and she wasn't touching her food. Mentally, he sighed, and was about to get up and walk away despite his mom and Toby's wishes. Before he could, though, Toby asked him a question between bites of chicken. "We've seen your sword, dude, and it's way cooler in red and black than blue and silver (no offense Claire) but what about the daggers you told us about?"

He glanced at his mother. "Am I even allowed to summon weapons at the table?"

She nodded, a curious expression on her own face. She was looking a little less exhausted now, which was good.

Jim brought his human hand onto the table, as his troll one might disgust them even more. He opened the palm, and with a brief flash of light, the two knives sat entangled in his hand. He held it up, showcasing it to the people at the table. Claire looked more fascinated now, most of her unease having disappeared. She looked up to him, but then directed her eyes at the ground. He felt his soul squeeze, and he felt all the regret of his decision to become something less than human crashing down on him.

Before he could do anything more than feel it though, Claire looked up again, timidly. "Do you think I could hold them?"

Jim blinked, and did his best to shove down his feelings so he could deal with them later. "You should be able; you're a Trollhunter too now, and they're just an extension of Daylight." He held the conjoined knives out to her. Just before she grasped them, his amulet pulsed with an angry red light, and he felt something akin to agitation. Before he could pull them back though, she grabbed them.

She yelped as they burned her hands, and he snarled, feeling a sense of vindictiveness when she was burned. Then he felt awful about feeling, and quickly rushed to get the first aid kit. Mostly to stop them from seeing him react to whatever had just happened.

He heard his mother clinically analyzing the injury, determining that it may blister, but there was also a chance of it only being first-degree. They fell silent until returned with the first aid box, and he stepped aside, letting his mother treat her. Claire glanced at him but couldn't seem to build up the confidence to actually say anything. He sighed, feeling awful because he knew it was his fault. She finally seemed to gather enough of her nerves to ask him about it, albeit very quietly. "What was that?"

"I don't know. I've never seen another Trollhunter handle Eclipse, but it is a special form of Daylight. Maybe once you get the triumbric stones in your own amulet you'll be able to hold mine." He couldn't look at her either; she was hurt and it was _his fault_.

Toby was staring at him, his eyebrows furrowed with concern. Then he looked at Claire, who made eye contact with him. She sighed. "Jim, it wasn't your fault. You didn't know that would happen."

"But I felt it. Just before it happened, it felt like it wasn't right. And I ignored it."

"It's fine. Better we learn it now than in the middle of some fight or situation, right?"

He would've preferred the lesson to stay unlearned, but he knew he was being unfair, to both himself and Claire. She was going to get hurt, she was going to have to feel pain for her to get any sort of success in her new life and career. He knew that well enough from his own experiences. He just didn't want her to have to be the same.

Claire went back to her own house after that debacle, probably to call Mary and Darci and tell them about her new job. Toby, regrettably, had his own chores at his house, which means that Jim wouldn't be able to talk to him for the rest of the day, until they went to Trollmarket that night. Considering that he had no desire to go anywhere near sleep at this point. Besides, he was half-troll. That meant he could probably go longer without sleep, right?

Probably.

Dusk was quickly turning into night by the time that Toby had returned to Jim's house. The chubby boy hurried in, closing the unlocked door behind him. Jim was sitting on the couch watching tv. A half-troll was pretty effective security, and Jim knew it was Toby before he had opened the door. All the blinds around the house were closed, as they had been since Jim had returned last night. Most of the lights were off, too, as troll eyes didn't need much light to be able to see.

Jim muted the TV as Toby joined him, turning to him, forcing his partner's full attention on him. "Toby, I've decided that I will not be joining all of you to go to Trollmarket." He had been looking for a way to rectify the whole situation for a while, and this was the best one he could come up with. It also gave him a great deal of relief, as he didn't have to deal with the exhausting drama of the trolls, especially with the hell that he knew Draal was going to raise.

He also really didn't want to learn what trolls would think about a half-breed such as him. He could surmise that from the way they thought of changelings, it probably wouldn't be too good.

Toby gaped at him. "Whaaaat?! But dude, how are we going to know what to do without you there?"

"Blinky is old and he knows what he's doing, and while he isn't quite respected within the community, AAARRRGGHH! is. No one will mess with you as long as he's with you."

"But isn't this when Bular is going to attack us?"

"No, that's tomorrow after school. Even then, I'll go with you to the bridge, but I'm not going to fight. I don't want anyone knowing that there are two Trollhunters yet, it would be easier to plan around it now. And as much as I hate it, Claire needs to know what she's up against."

"You're just going to chuck her into the deep end?!"

"The deep end would have been zero information at all and she would still be expected to know what she's doing." His face was as straight as possible while saying this, and Toby winced at him.

"Yeah, but if you were there we could take him out early!"

"And send the changelings scattering with the pieces of Killahead? Probably not a good idea. Oh, and by the way, you're the one who found the amulet and gave it to Claire. That's what we agreed on earlier."

"When have you two been able to talk?"

Jim held up his phone. "Mom told me that I needed to keep this on me at all times, and she expects me to talk to her at least once a night if I'm off on any 'grand quests.'"

Toby nodded. "That's a pretty good point." But then he huffed. "Do you really expect me to behave myself knowing that my future girlfriend is right there? Jimbo, I need my inhibition with me."

The half-troll snorted at him, lips quirking. "Nice try, but no. Half the reason I'm doing this is because I don't want to deal with them."

"Do you not like them?"

"No, it's not that. It's just that… I've got a general plan, and I don't want to get any more attached to Arcadia before I leave."

"Oh, okay." He waited for what he said to click in Toby's head. He sat in silence for a second before turning and frowning at Jim. "Could you repeat that last bit? I don't think I heard you properly. It sounded like you said you were leaving Arcadia."

He gave an audible sigh before laying back into the couch. He had been dreading this moment since he came up with his plan to go get Angor Rot and help from the Old World. It would be worse when he was actually saying goodbye, but he wasn't planning on doing that for a couple weeks at least. "Toby, I know that I can fix some things. I'm not leaving soon, but something's going to have to change, and Claire needs to be able to be the Trollhunter without me if she wants any respect."

Toby was gaping at him. He closed his mouth and swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing. "I'll be coming with you, right?" His tone made Jim cringe. "You said every adventure, it was always you and me."

He steeled himself before his friend. "Yes, but I need you here. You're the only one that I really trust completely. If you'll notice, I left a lot of stuff out of my other explanation."

"You can't leave me! Jim, not just for me, you need someone! You think I haven't noticed how down you've been?"

At this, he snarled. "I'm not some kid, Toby! I can take care of myself!"

"But wouldn't it be better to have someone with you?!"

"NO!" He roared at Toby, the house shaking as he slammed a fist into the wall.

Toby jumped a bit, a completely shocked look crossing his face. It had been a long time since they had argued, and Jim knew perfectly well why they tried their best to avoid fighting. It hurt both of them, way too much. His heart ached as they both stared at the ground, not knowing what to say.

Jim broke the silence first. "I'm sorry Toby, you didn't deserve any of that. It's just, I have to figure this out myself. I need to figure out what am I now, and how to control it. And that's just not something I can do if I have one of you doing it for me. I'm sorry Toby, but I _need_ to do this." His voice cracked somewhat at the end, and he groaned in his head. He needed to ask Blinky what he was and whether he was grown or not.

Toby looked up at him. A few tears were coming out of his eyes, but he nodded and moved closer to Jim. He gave him the biggest hug he could muster and spoke in a shaky voice. "I thought I lost you once, Jimbo. I don't want to do that again."

He hugged his best friend back, resting his cheek on his head. "You won't, Tobes. I promise." He promised to himself that he would make it back. "You won't."

Toby and Jim left the house after they had gathered themselves. Their methods of making it to Claire's were slightly different though. While Toby simply walked there, on the sidewalk, like a normal person, Jim took to the trees, concealed in the shadows. His armor had stopped glowing, presumably as a response to his desire not to be seen rather than an indication that he was losing his will to keep it active. He'd lost the will to keep it active a while ago, and actively wanted to get it off.

If it finally did come off, he would start a celebration with whoever was present. Hell, he would dance with Bular at that point.

But that was besides the current point. He watched Toby being quietly ushered into Claire's house, and looking in, he noticed that the two girls hadn't arrived yet. He settled back into his tree to wait.

For a while, he simply stared up at the stars, letting his thoughts drift and shaking his head whenever his eyelids started to droop. When he finally heard footsteps, though, his eyes snapped over to the sidewalk, and he could see Mary and Darci walking along to Claire's house. His sharp eyes could actually make out their faces, even in the darkness, and he could see the confusion and concern etched into them.

Tracing them as they walked up to Claire's door, Jim waited until they were safely occupied inside before tilting his body out of the tree and landing silently on his feet. He crept up under one of Claire's windows, conveniently open for him to listen in. He smirked. While he hadn't thought to ask about that, he took solace in Claire being smart enough to open it on her own.

He really hoped that she was going to close the blinds before transforming, though. That might be a bit hard to explain to the neighbors.

Shaking his head, Jim dismissed his own thoughts, and perked an ear to the window as he got comfortable under it.

"Hey, C-Bomb, what's this about? You can't just be all cryptic like that over a text! And what's he doing here?" Jim assumed that she was talking about Toby, and he knew that the person speaking was most definitely Mary.

"He gave me the thing that I needed to talk to the two of you about. Here," he heard Claire rustling around in her bag. "Look at this."

He could see the glow on the ceiling and went back to hoping that she was smart enough to close the blinds. Thankfully, though, it seemed like Toby was on the same page as him, as the he saw the other blinds close around them, one by one. The window he was under remained open, though, since it was facing the backyard and was unlikely to be seen.

"What is this, Claire?" That one was Darci. He had heard her voice around Tobes enough. "Why did Toby give you a glowing pocket watch?"

"Well, it's actually magic."

There was a brief silence before he heard the two girls laughing, and he snarled to himself. He didn't like it when people laughed at his friends. Realizing what he was doing, though, he stopped and concentrated on calming himself. He hated being this out of control, and he hated himself for it even more since it was no one's fault but his own. He was broken out of his thoughts when he saw movement in the backyard.

Getting in a position where it would be easily to launch himself and summon Eclipse, he waited for the intruders to come out. Jim relaxed when he realized that it was just Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!, who smiled and waved at him. He quickly moved over to them, motioning for them to stay put. As he settled into the bushes next to them, he started whispering. "I'm not coming to Trollmarket tonight," he started. "Also, you have two extra humans and Toby going with you and Claire. They don't know about me, so keep that on the down low."

Blinky seemed relieved. "I was going to suggest that myself. I have no idea how they would react to so much change at once." But then he frowned. "Four humans at once wouldn't be quite as much of a shock but it's still a bit much to process for most trolls. But what is this down low that I should be keeping word of you on?"

"Human expression, Blinky. It means keep it a secret."

"Ah. That makes sense." He turned to look at the humans, a flash of blue light taking over all their vision. "I do believe that's our cue. AAARRRGGHH!, my dear fellow, if you would."

The four-armed scholar made his way into the house. Jim snickered as he heard the screams of the girls, and he waited for them to see the mossy giant lumbering after Blinky. Once he poked his head in the doorway, another duo of screams came from the building, and it was all Jim could do to not double over in laughter. He couldn't stop himself from gasping for breath through silent laughter though when he saw Darci beating on Blinky with a frying pan.

It had taken a long time for them to get everything sorted out, as Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! left the house nearly an hour after they had entered. Jim had gotten bored of listening and was resting behind the bushes of Claire's backyard. He stealthily backed out of them, using the giant to cover him so that he could leave without Mary and Darci seeing them. After they had gotten far enough away, Jim moved to their side, settling in step next to Blinky. "So, how'd it go?"

One of Blinky's arms were stroking his chin. "The two females, and Claire herself, didn't seem very eager to go to Trollmarket. I thought that perhaps it was best to allow them to adjust to the idea before we go any further. Plus, it will give me a chance to better plan just how to mitigate the response from the Trolls," he muttered the last part, but Jim still heard it loud and clear.

Jim stopped, which made the two trolls stop and turn to him curiously. "You're not planning on telling Vendel about me, are you?"

"Well, yes." Blinky blinked. "what reason would we have for not telling him? He would know the best way to deal with Usurna."

"I just…" Jim grabbed a horn, stroking it. "Vendel was always traditional. He tried to get Draal to kill me in the beginning, or at least humiliate him. He only respected me after I killed Bular."

"I understand, Master Jim. I think you may be right, though. Without any proof of you being from the future, he will not believe us. You would need to come to Trollmarket."

"Not happening." Jim shook his head. "There are things I need to do. I don't plan on staying here in Arcadia for too long."

Blinky was shocked, and AAARRRGGHH! looked extraordinarily confused. "But why? With you here, we could change everything for the better! I've created so many plans, you can't just leave!"

"We can't fight Gunmar with nothing but the forces of Trollmarket. Last time, he used the Decimaar blade to make at least three quarters of Trollmarket his army and was somehow able to start pulling Nyarlagoths out of the Darklands to help him. The only reason we won is because I killed Gunmar, which killed anything turned by the Decimaar blade."

"But now we can simply kill him in the Darklands!"

"And when the changelings eventually turn against the Trolls themselves?" Jim crossed his arms. "I'm going to recruit help from the Old World. Besides, Claire needs to figure out Trollhunting on her own. It's not as if I'm leaving you on your own."

Blinky grabbed his shoulders, looking directly into his eyes. "Jim, you can't simply go to the Old World! The horrors there… there was a reason we left!"

"Then will you tell me about what's over there?" Blinky's face was downcast, and he turned away. Jim felt a bit of anger rise in him. "Strickler wouldn't tell me either. What is over there?"

He felt a small surge of surprise when it was AAARRRGGHH! who spoke up. "Bad trolls. Some worse than Gumm-Gumms." The big troll shrugged. "Some angry at Trollmarket. New ideas. Equality, unity. Don't like. Still send trolls to kill us."

Jim's eyes widened. It sounded like the same reason the colonists came to America, in order to escape inequality. Before he could formulate his own comment, Blinky sighed and spoke up. "There is still a Trollmarket in what you humans call Europe, and we give it supplies and sometimes manpower. Vendel's brother runs it, and they must be vigilant in order to stay alive."

It made sense to Jim. While there was a large variety of trollkinds in Trollmarket, there wasn't anything near what he would expect from a world-class trading hub. It made sense that it was unique to the old world, much like Democracy was for the humans. However, this did nothing but steel his determination to go. "It sounds like they need a Trollhunter of their own."

Blinky brought two of his hands to his temples, and in a human-like move, massaged them thoroughly, expressing a good deal of exasperation. "Very well. I can see that there's no dissuading you from this. Perhaps you'll be able to unite the trolls where we couldn't." Grabbing hold of Jim's shoulders again, he made sure that Jim was looking him in the eyes. The half-troll stared uncertainly into his father-figure's eyes. "You will go nowhere until I teach you everything that you need to know about the old world. Do you understand?"

In a gesture of respect, he shrank slightly and averted his eyes, then nodded. Blinky brightened immediately. "Good! I will have the books for you tomorrow. I will test your knowledge periodically." He started walking away, towards the bridge. He muttered something under his breath to AAARRRGGHH!,, which Jim couldn't catch. The Krubera shook his head, and Blinky wilted.

Jim shrugged, and started making his way home.

* * *

 **AN: Some people have asked about past Jim. That will be explained in the future. I am loving the reviews, though. I wasn't prepared for how accomplished they make me feel, especially with this being the first story that I've ever written in my life. Thanks to all of you.**


	5. It's All About Perspective

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

Strickler always made teaching seem so easy. When he was a school teacher, he easily held the class's attention with witty, well-timed jokes and making the content seem interesting. When he was teaching him to fight like a changeling, he had a plan of everything that he was going to correct within that training session. Strickler was always good with his plans.

Jim, on the other hand, had absolutely no idea what he was doing.

The whole reminiscing over Strickler's teaching came from the task he was currently dreading, which would be happening later tonight. He was supposed to teach Claire some of the basics so that she could avoid the whole Draal situation that cropped up with him. The only problem was, he had never taught anyone before, so he was freaking out.

Toby and Claire were at school right now, his mom was at the hospital, and Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! were in Trollmarket, so he didn't have anyone to freak out to, which was making it worse. At least he wasn't tired, though. He was still doing his best to avoid sleep, and therefore Morgana. He was pacing in his room, pulling on his horns and hair while trying to figure out what he was supposed to do. It was times like this that he really wished Blinky had a phone. He didn't even know what counted as the basics!

Eventually, the half-troll forced himself to sit down on his bed and take deep breaths to calm himself. Closing his eyes, he waited for his heart to calm itself and his nervous flutter to leave. Then he thought to himself: what were my first steps?

He remembered Blinky teaching him the rules of Trollhunting. The first? Always be afraid. Two was always finish the fight. He'd talk to her about that one, helping her through any reservations she may have about it. The last, and his favorite? When in doubt, kick them in the gronk-nuks. Jim smirked. She'd think that one was pretty funny, but he'd have to get her to understand that it was the one rule that was actually helpful and that she didn't already have down. He was pretty solid on rule one before he even started, and he had a feeling she was too.

Getting up, Jim decided that it might be better to write this down to get his thoughts better organized. Walking downstairs to the kitchen, he leaned over the counter with paper and a pencil he swiped form the living room. He started a numbered list, with one being _the three rules of Trollhunting_. He thought back to his own combat training and debated on which teacher to emulate. Blinky was less combat oriented, and more theory and advice on how to take down an enemy. Draal, on the other hand, had taught him most of what he knew about fighting with Daylight. Well, Eclipse now, but they were essentially the same sword. He also gave him the most useful piece of advice when it came to his armor. Force it to do what you want it to do.

Looking down at his armor-clad body, he sighed to himself. The armor did now generally do what he wanted; it would brighten or dim on command, muffle his steps (Jim still had no idea how it did that), summon his sword to wherever he wanted it, and he could sometimes get it to form a sort of shield of energy over him. But it still wouldn't come off. He tried to push down his anger and frustration, but it was hard. He hadn't felt any need to use the bathroom or anything, but he really didn't appreciate not being able to get out of it for an entire week now.

He wanted the damn thing off.

Unfortunately, it still stubbornly ignored him, so he returned to his task before he got too far sidetracked. He marked two down on the paper, writing down _Demonstrating stances and styles._ Tapping the pencil to a tooth, he let his mind wander to Blinky. He knew Blinky would want a part in this, but what to give him? Maybe he could talk about theory and teach them about troll history as he was training Claire in future lessons. Nodding to himself, he went to put it down on the paper before he noticed that he had no pencil in his hand, and that he was chewing on something that felt suspiciously like wood. Pushing down his frustration at his uncontrollable urges, he swallowed and went to get another pencil.

* * *

Claire was having a decidedly exhausting day. Her teachers seemed to be giving out much more homework than they ever had before, Toby was avoiding her, and Mary and Darci were bombarding her with questions that she didn't have answers to. Currently, she was sitting in Strickler's history class, the atmosphere being generally bummed out with Jim's 'disappearance.' Even Strickler seemed to be down, and it was pretty hard for her to believe that he was a shapeshifting troll megalomaniac. She sent a glare Toby's way, feeling especially frustrated with the way that he refused to give her a hand.

She was taken aback when he sent a stronger glare back her way.

She caught a glimpse of Darci looking between the two of them with a confused expression. She quickly looked back towards the board, with Strickler detailing something about the aftereffects of the Peloponnesian war. While she was taking notes on what he was saying, she wasn't comprehending any of it. Claire's mind was decidedly mush right now, running on four hours of sleep and focused on an entirely different subject.

The bell rang, and she dutifully packed up her materials before standing up. "Ms. Nuñez, may I have a word with you?" Strickler's voice rang out. Turning to him, he was seated at his desk, posture as straight as a board and his pen clicking in his hand. He had a downcast look on his face. Making a quick decision, she walked over to him.

"Yes, Mr. Strickler?" She was hoping this would be over fast so she could catch Toby at lunch. She had some questions for him, and he wouldn't be getting away this time.

His pen clicked again, and he put it down next to his computer. "I know that you had a certain regard for Mr. Lake, just as he did for you. Though perhaps not as much as him. His disappearance has been hard on all of us, and I just wanted you to know that if you needed someone to talk to, my door is open to all."

She nodded. "Thank you, Mr. Strickler. I know that the police are hard at work, so I'm doing my best to just focus on what I can do."

"A wise decision, Ms. Nuñez. You always have been wise. Much like Athena, the Greek goddess of battle." He stood up, opening the door that the other students had closed. "Be on your way then, Athena. You will conquer this obstacle as you have every other."

She smiled at him, closing the door behind her as she walked out. Waiting for her were Darci and Mary, questioning expressions prevalent on their faces. "What was that all about?" asked Mary.

Claire shrugged. "He wanted to make sure I was taking Jim's disappearance well."

Darci winced. "I'm sure he's fine, Claire. My dad's all over it. He's already talked to his mom and he's turning Arcadia upside down." It took Claire a second to remember that they didn't know that Jim was fine. Well, maybe fine wasn't the right word. She started walking into step, the girls falling in with her.

Mary spoke up. "So Claire, are you excited about going to-" she looked from side to side, checking to make sure no one could hear them. "- Trollmarket?" she whispered excitedly.

Darci rolled her eyes. "It's not like anyone's going to be listening in on us, Mare. Besides, who wouldn't be excited about going to Trollmarket?" Claire glanced at her, and she could have sword that her eyes were sparkling. "A world of magical creatures, right beneath our feet! This is the coolest thing ever!"

"Yeah, except for the part about that big evil troll probably eating us!" Mary had seemed a bit fixed on that detail last night too. "Why is it that I seem to be the only one really concerned about this?"

As they were walking, they saw a poster for Romeo and Juliet. Claire groaned. "The play! I forgot about that!" They walked into the lunch room, Darci putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Girl, if you really want to be in the play, go for it! I'm sure you'll be amazing at it."

"That's not the problem. The problem is being the Trollhunter and Juliet with all of my classes." She sighed. "It's fine. I just won't try out for the play." The other two girls looked at her like she grew another head as they sidled into the food line

"You've already memorized all Juliet's lines!" Mary interjected, getting some strange gunk on her tray. "You've been excited about this play since they announced that it was going to happen at the beginning of the school year!"

"Making sure that evil magic rocks don't kill anyone sounds a bit more important to me." They left the food line, and she scanned the cafeteria for Toby. She found him sitting in his usual spot, the rest of his half of the table empty. It was even more depressing than it was when it was just him and Jim there. It didn't seem to do anything to his appetite, though.

She motioned for the girls to follow her as they went over to him. Once Mary figured out where they were heading though, she grabbed Claire's arm. "Claire, what do you think you're doing? Sitting with him would be committing social suicide!" Darci stopped in front of them, looking uncomfortable.

Claire rolled her eyes. "Do you want answers to questions about Trolls or not?"

Mary huffed. "Trolls or not, we still have lives! And I am not going to throw away mine for… him!"

Claire kept walking towards Toby, dragging Mary along with her. Darci seemed relieved that it was over, and she smiled at Toby as they approached. Toby, for his part, just looked surprised. He paused with a spoonful of his food halfway to his mouth. "Uh… what are you guys doing here? Isn't it like social suicide to be seen with me?"

Mary threw her arms up. "Exactly! But they won't listen to me!"

"Ignoring how incredibly rude that was, I think that we're going to be seeing a lot more of each other anyways, because of the whole troll business." Darci seemed to be perfectly at ease, eating her food as if she sat there every day. Mary gaped at her.

"You can't just say that in a crowded room! What if someone hears us? They'll think we're crazy!" Mary punctuated her point by waving her arms around wildly. Darci and Claire rolled their eyes and scoffed at her.

"Who's gonna listen in on us, those guys five seats away? Playing their DSs?" Claire turned to Toby. "I have some questions for you, you little twerp. You've been avoiding me all day." Toby immediately picked up his fork again and started doing a horrible job of pretending that she wasn't there. Claire huffed. "What is your problem?!"

"What's my problem? What's yours?! Do you have any idea how you're making him feel, every time you act like you're disgusted to be around him? He actually gives a damn about you, and you treat him like he's some abomination that you can't even look at without getting sick! Until you change that, you can piss right off." He crossed his arms, glaring murderously at her. The three girls had shocked looks on their faces, shrinking back in their chairs from the intensity of the pudgy boy's anger.

Darci leaned over to Claire and whispered, "Who's he talking about?"

"It's a long story," she whispered back. "Tell you later."

She raised her voice to normal volumes again to speak to Toby. "It's not like I don't care about him, but I only just really met him for the first time Saturday night! And yeah, he's terrifying, more than the trolls because he looks close enough to be relatively human! What do they call it, the uncanny valley? But that's besides the point, the point being that my fear isn't invalid!"

"You think he wanted to be that?" His voice was hushed, and he looked down into his food. He pushed some of it around before looking back up at her, and she could tell that he was unhappy. "He told you guys a streamlined version of the story. I got the full deal."

Claire jerked her head towards the other two, reminding Toby that they were present and very confused. He waved a hand, dismissing it. "It's not like they know what we're talking about, and they don't need to. This is between you and me right now."

"So what's so bad about me and him that you're getting all worked up over it?"

At this he shook his head. "Not here," he said. "I'll tell you, because he won't. Feels like it would pressure you into something. But what I'm trying to say is that he's really insecure in himself right now, and you're not helping. Just… I don't know, smile at him or something. He needs people to tell him that it's okay to be what he is right now." Toby sighed. "This is way too heavy of a topic to get into at a school lunch table. I'll make sure you get what I'm saying later. Before you go to see him."

Mary and Darci's eyebrows were almost in their hairlines now. Mary giggled, and Darci lightly punched her shoulder. "Look at you, having a secret boyfriend! I didn't know you had it in you, C-Bomb!" Mary had put down her phone, she was so proud of her. Claire felt her face heat up as she looked into Darci's grinning face.

"It's not like that, this is Trollhunter business!" The two of them lost their grins but they looked much more interested now. Claire shook her head. "No, you two can't come. He said that he was only going to show up if it was me and only me." A small lie, but she was pretty sure that Jim wouldn't appreciate the two of them knowing about him if he hadn't given approval.

Speaking of which, she did have his number now. She pulled out her phone and sent a quick text, asking if the two of them could come with her. Jim almost instantly replied, surprising her. _Not yet,_ the text said. Another text came in. _Don't have a story yet_ , it said. She nodded to herself and sent a text to him _Makes sense._ She put away her phone before Darci could peek at who it was.

For the rest of the lunch period, the three girls idly chatted, and while Toby mostly kept to himself on his phone, he chimed in a couple times. She had to admit, he could be pretty funny, and he was really enthusiastic about everything. Maybe he could be a good friend like Jim said he was in the future.

* * *

Jim was in his basement, going through stances and swings that Draal had taught him in preparation for his lesson this afternoon. He had taken a brief break to text Toby throughout the boy's lunch period, the boy having a meltdown from the fact that not one, not two, but three of the most popular girls in school sat with him. He grinned to himself as he finished a swing, imagining Toby sitting there silently going _omygosh ohmygosh_ under his breath. He said that Darci laughed at some of his jokes and interjections, so Toby was counting it as a win. He felt proud of his partner, knowing that he could be on track to getting a girlfriend faster than the last time.

Maybe he'd even have one before Jim. Chances are that Jim was never going to get a girlfriend, with the way things were going so far. He frowned, reminding himself to think positively. Claire ad only met him two days ago, anyways. He couldn't expect her to be the rock that he drew strength from like she used to be.

The half-troll growled to himself, completing a strike more aggressively than necessary. He had just told himself to think positively, and here he was, getting himself depressed. At least he had Toby. He always had Toby.

Speaking of which, they should have just gotten out of school. He was expecting Toby pretty soon, and Claire would probably be over only after she finished her homework. He was fine with that, it meant more bro time for them before he would probably get his heart crushed and powdered again.

At least she was okay. She was fine, and that was all that really mattered.

* * *

Toby was not fine with the way that things were going. He had known his best friend since they were five, he could read him like he was an open book. And right now, that book's topic was insecurity and self-hatred. And that was most definitely not fine.

The main problem, he had realized, was Claire. While this might be one of the worst things that he had ever done, betraying his partner's confidence like this, he knew it needed to be done. Claire needed to understand the weight she carried in regard to Jim. Sighing, he got off his bike and closed the garage as he entered his house. "Nana, I'm home!" he yelled out of habit, getting a greeting in return from his Nana.

He went up to his room, pulling his phone out of his bag and staring at it, debating on whether he should actually do what he was about to do. In the end, he told himself that it was necessary and called Claire.

The phone rang three times before she picked up. "Really, Toby? I thought the whole idea was to keep them out of the whole time travel thing."

"Yeah, well, I was a little worked up. You were being insensitive to my best friend, and he really needs sensitivity right now. Which is why I'm going to tell you this despite it being a huge betrayal of his trust." He took a deep breath, settling his face into a serious look despite Claire not being able to see. "You two were way more than friends in the future."

Toby heard a crash on the other side of the line, and then ten seconds of silence before Claire spoke. "You mean, like boyfriend and girlfriend?"

"That's exactly what I mean. It goes a bit deeper than that, though, and I don't mean sex or anything. The only reason he got to a semi-stable emotional space was because you told him that you loved him." The phone was silent again.

Claire's voice sounded very small. "Oh."

"Yeah. So your whole thing about being scared of him is almost physically painful for him."

"That… wow. No wonder you got mad at me." She went quiet for a bit again. Toby waited patiently for her to gather herself. "Why didn't he tell me?"

"Like I said, he was afraid that he might pressure you into something or you'd pity him. He really doesn't like pity. Never has." He remembered when he exploded at people when he was six for the looks they sent his direction, filled with pity for a child with no father.

"I'll… I…" Wow, she was really discombobulated over this. "I can't promise anything, but I'll try to be better about it. Are you going to be at the lesson?"

"Yeah. I'm going to head over to his house right now actually. Don't mention that I told you any of this, alright?"

"I won't." Before he hung up, he heard her say something else. "What was that?"

"Thank you, Toby. For telling me."

"Just make sure you're sensitive about it." He hung up.

* * *

Jim bounded up the stairs when he heard someone knock on the backdoor. He had been a little people-starved for a while, and he felt much lonelier than he should have. He briefly confirmed that it was indeed Toby at the door before opening it and scooping him up. Laughing, Toby hugged him back, and reciprocated in kind when Jim nuzzled him. Jim immediately set him down upon the realization of what he did and tried to apologize. "I didn't mean – uh, I'm sorry, wow, um, this is embarrassing…"

Toby held a hand up. "Jimbo, you've got some troll parts now! I was expecting at least a few behavioral changes, and if that means free hugs, then I guess I'll just have to suffer through it." Toby said the last part with so much sarcasm Jim was surprised it didn't start oozing out of his body. Still, he grinned, happy that Toby at least accepted his new instincts. They both trekked into the basement, Toby looking surprised at how clear it was. He seemed to shrug it off and found a chair so that he could do some of his homework. "So what kind of greeting was that?"

"I don't know. Brother or something, probably? I didn't exactly get a handbook." He was actually really nervous. This was the first time he had fallen prey to his own instincts in regard to a friend, and he didn't know if he would do that to someone else. Like his mom. Or God forbid, Claire. Toby wagged a finger at him.

"Nuh uh. That is a part of you, and you need to acknowledge. We'll work on it too, figure out how we're supposed to react, so we can do it properly too."

He felt his face flushing with something akin to mortification. "You don't have to do that, it was probably a one-time thing or something!"

"You just said it was a brotherly greeting! Listen," He quieted down, walking over to him and looking him in the eyes. His head was bent all the way back; he'd laugh if he wasn't so serious. "This is you. It is a part of you, and that's not a bad thing. I might not know too much about trolls yet, but you need to learn that being half and half doesn't make you something less than human or troll. If anything, it makes you greater. Blinky himself said that you were way stronger than a troll your size should be."

He kneeled on the ground so he could pull Toby into a hug. His best friend hugged him back, before they both let go. Toby went back to his chair, ignoring his homework in favor of watching Jim practice. Eventually, though, when Jim rolled his eyes and told Toby that he would get to see him and Claire later, he went to his work.

After a good hour and a half, when Toby was done with his homework, Jim looked towards the door, freezing in the middle of hoisting the dryer over his head with one hand. "Someone just knocked on the door," he explained to Toby when he glanced to his face questioningly. "Could you go check it out?"

Toby nodded and set off upstairs. Jim put the dryer back down and plugged it in, making sure that it was working fine as he heard the door open and close on the floor above. His heart picked up its pace a bit when he was able to determine that it was Claire's footsteps following Toby's but was able to calm himself by the time he was leading her into the basement. He mentally fortified himself for when she would refuse to meet his eyes but was pleasantly surprised when she smiled directly into them. He found his own lips pulling back into an uncontrollable grin, grimacing internally when he realized that would probably scare her more.

Her smile disappeared, but not in a bad way. More to make room for her determined expression as she put her backpack down next to the stairs and pulled out her amulet. She held it up and looked to Jim questioningly, and he nodded. She nodded back and began the incantation.

"For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" A blue glow enveloped her, and she floated up until the armor had finished forming over her and deposited her back on the ground. She looked over herself, clenching her fists before looking up at him.

"Alright, before we actually start this, I want you to know that I've never taught anyone in my life." He felt like it was probably a good idea to clarify that before he started, so that she would know that she could probably get better instruction almost anywhere else. Still, though, he had to try. "Now, I'm going to start this by teaching you the three rules of Trollhunting."

She snorted. "There are rules? Beyond just kill the bad things?"

"Well, that one's pretty much understood. These are rules of survival, rules that every Trollhunter lives and dies by." He drew himself up to his full height, a rather impressive one as he knew. He looked down at her and noticed that she was not focused on his face. "Claire?"

* * *

Claire knew that this was going to be a new sort of experience. Not just in that she was learning how to fight, but she was going to face her future boyfriend who was her current crush. Well, before he time-traveled. Now, she didn't know what she was going to think. But she promised both Toby and herself that she was going to try and give him a chance. Walking down the stairs to the basement, she decided to truly look at him. Not just the half-glances at the monster that he had seemingly become.

When he looked up at her, she took a mental breath, telling herself that this was it. She smiled at him, and truly looked at him.

The first thing she noticed was that his eyes were still the same color. A deep blue that she enjoyed, as she had never seen it anywhere else. His hair was long and a bit wild, which was kind of endearing. It was indeed hair and was the same as when he was human. She decided that she liked it. His jaw, on the other hand, had changed quite a bit. One of his few physical qualities that weren't the most handsome before he changed was his weak jaw and chin. That was no longer the case. It looked like his face had been chiseled by Greek architects, declaring it one of their mighty gods. While his lower jaw jutted out, it seemed so natural that it would have been wrong otherwise. She also thought that his fangs (tusks?) were cute rather than intimidating.

She found her smile changing from a greeting to a true smile, and mentally copied his new face into her mind. It was far more pleasing than she had originally thought, and she'd judge later whether she like it more than his old one.

She dropped her bag at the bottom of the stairs, pulling the amulet out of it. She raised an eyebrow at the half-troll, silently asking whether or not he wanted it activated. When he nodded, she went ahead and said the incantation that she had already memorized. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" She waited for the armor to finish forming, bracing herself when she fell. She looked up at Jim, waiting for him to start.

"Alright, before we actually start this, I want you to know that I've never taught anyone in my life." He did seem pretty nervous, though that might also be because it was his future/ex-girlfriend in the room with him. She thought over it a bit, but the decision on whether it would be future or ex in the back of her mind. That didn't matter right now.

"Now, I'm going to start this by teaching you the three rules of Trollhunting." She found that highly amusing, snorting at it. There were rules to killing trolls? Like what?

"There are rules? Beyond just killing the bad things?"

"Well, that one's pretty much understood. These are rules of survival, rules that every Trollhunter lives and dies by." He drew himself up to his full height and found her newly opened mind _not ready_.

She had not noticed his arms before. The way the chain-link part of the armor forms, it pretty much conforms to the skin. And the muscle. And by God, she was not ready for the arms. His shoulders were hidden behind his pauldrons, but she found his overall size something much different than intimidating. Claire felt her blood rushing to her face, heating up as she stared at his body. The broadness in his chest and _those shoulders…_ _Dear Merlin, why does the armor have to be so tight?_

She shook herself out of it when she heard him call for her. "Yes?" Her voice was much higher pitched than she meant for it to be. She cursed how she couldn't hide her blush, wishing for a helmet to cover her. Toby snickered from his seat, reclining in a chair. She threw a deathly glare at him, which made him start guffawing instead.

Poor Jim was looking between them with bewilderment etched on his face, no idea what was happening. Claire decided right then and there that it was most definitely future girlfriend.

* * *

Jim shook off his confusion before summoning Eclipse to his right hand, putting both of his hands on the pommel and resting the tip on the ground in front of him. "If you two could pay attention," he lightly admonished them. When Claire looked back at him, he noticed a bright blush on her face. He raised an eyebrow but didn't question it. When Toby stopped laughing, he took that as his cue to start.

"Rule One: Always be afraid."

Claire grinned, her blush fading. "Think I've got that one down pretty well."

"I know I did when I was starting. But seriously. Always be afraid. Fear heightens your senses, makes you faster in both mind and body. Trolls don't get the strength boost from adrenaline, but I know that boost has saved me more times than I can count. So, fear is something that you need, not something you want to ignore." She nodded, awkwardly leaning against the pole. At his and Toby's questioning looks, she rolled her eyes.

"Just standing there feels really awkward."

"I get it. Blinky was chucking rocks at me the whole time he was teaching me this."

"Wait, really?"

"Yeah, rocks were one of his favorite things. AAARRRGGHH! would stand behind me and eat all the ones I dodged." They all shared a laugh, Jim reminiscing and Toby and Claire imagining the giant popping rocks in his mouth like they were popcorn.

Letting his laughter subside, Jim gently tapped Eclipse to the ground to regain their attention. When he felt that they were sufficiently focused again, he spoke. "Rule Two: Always finish the fight." This one he knew needed a looser interpretation. "Blinky and most trolls will tell you that this means that you need to kill all your enemies, finishing the fight that way. I found that there were plenty of people that I didn't kill who became invaluable allies. The first was this one gnome, then there was Draal, Strickler, Nomura, and even Angor Rot." Toby gave him a look at the last name, and Jim winced, figured that he was still upset over hm leaving.

Claire nodded, and she looked determined. "So how do I figure whether I should kill them or not?"

Jim shrugged. "That's mostly up to you. I did it by figuring out why they were fighting. Draal wanted to kill me because he didn't respect me, for instance. Once I beat that respect into him, he became one of my best friends. Strickler just wants what's best for the changelings as a whole, so once they kicked him out, he realized that there were those who might look out for him for a change."

Claire looked as if she understood, nodding again. "And the last one?"

The half-troll's face stretched into a wide grin. "When in doubt, kick them in the gronk-nuks."

"The what?" Claire looked very confused.

Jim picked up a couple pieces of paper left over from Toby's homework and wadded it up. And then chucked it at the area directly between Toby's legs. The boy let out a high-pitched squeal, cradling the area and curling in on himself. "What the hell, Jimbo?!"

He gestured towards the scene as Claire was busy dying of laughter. "The gronk-nuks." To Toby, he said, "Suck it up, drama queen. We both know that didn't hurt." Toby tried to glare at him but ended up with a hybrid grin-frown that lost all effectiveness.

"Yo-you're kidding me." She was barely able to get the words out between laughs. Once it properly subsided and she was able to breathe again, she gave him a smile that took his own breath away. "A third of Trollhunting is kicking your enemy in the balls?"

"That's the idea." His grin felt as if it was stuck to his face, he still couldn't wipe it off. "I can't even tell you how many times that one saved my life. I nailed Draal during our fight, and it took Angor Rot by surprise, which was basically the entire reason we beat him the first time."

Claire shook her head. "I'll keep that one in mind." She drew herself up. "I'm sensing that we're getting to the practical part of the lesson." A coy smile formed on her face, and he knew that the only reason his face wasn't burning was that the blush didn't show through his skin. For once, he was grateful for his half-troll body.

"Yeah. I'll teach you the way Draal taught me." He held Eclipse aloft, getting in the very first stance that Draal showed him. "Mirror my moves, young apprentice." She laughed but did as he asked.

As she matched his stance, he felt something move through him. A surge of energy, feeling like it came from his heart. Or, perhaps more accurately, his amulet. He looked down and noticed that the glow was much more pronounced. Claire gasped beside him, and his eyes shot to her.

She was holding the sword a bit loosely, but before he moved to correct it, he noticed that her amulet was glowing, much like his own. Curiously, he let down his own stance, noticing that the amulets dimmed. Curiously, he asked her, "Did you feel that too?"

She nodded, staying in stance. She did ask him a question of her own, though. "Is that normal?"

"If it is, I've never felt it before. It might be something with two amulets. By the way, your grip is a little loose." She tightened her hand on Daylight, and he moved to a new position.

There was another surge of energy as she matched him, the amulets glowing again. He felt a similar surge of energy but was ready for it this time. He looked over to her, corrected her stance that was leaning a bit, and moved to a new one. She almost immediately moved into it, with only minor flaws which she corrected by looking at him. Jim frowned. This was unusual for beginners, and he knew for a fact that she was no prodigy with a blade. Not like he was, anyways. I mean, who else can say that they managed to fight Bular the Vicious with no training?

He was getting off track. He kept shifting through various stances, going back to old ones and trying new ones. She matched every one of his movements, the amulets growing brighter and she was able to move faster while following him. Eventually, he found her matching his own moves, falling in sync with him, and a new feeling was cropping up in the back of his mind. One of pure euphoria, and it was intoxicating. Toby covered his eyes, not being able to see through the blinding light. He looked over to Claire, unimpeded by the light. A truly radiant grin had found its way on her face, and he knew that he probably had a matching one on his own. He executed a spinning jump, which she matched but failed to stick the landing.

And just like that, the magic was over. The amulets dimmed to a level to which Toby could safely peek out without being blinded. Jim rushed over, lifting Claire off the floor with his human hand round her waist. "Holy shit guys! What was that? Claire, have you done this before or something?"

She looked down at the sword in her hand, confusion etched on her face. "I haven't, but… it felt like I've been doing this for years now." She looked up at Jim, still holding her off the ground, a stunned look on his own face. He had absolutely no idea what had just happened, but if she kept that up, then she would probably be better than him in no time.

"Well, do it again! This time without Jim's help." Toby, at the least was excited for whatever was happening. Claire nodded, lifting Daylight up to her shoulder before starting on the stances again. Her first stance was fine, but the second was… sloppy, to say the least. Any others she went through were a jumbled and confused mess.

Claire let the sword hang from her hand, the tip touching the ground. Jim dismissed Eclipse, running his human hand across a horn thoughtfully. He considering the possibilities. Whatever way one wanted to look at it, what just happened was definitely caused by the amulets. The glow was usually a dead giveaway. But it looked like it only worked with both of them, as if they were fueling each other or synchronizing. It wouldn't be very useful to have two people doing the exact same thing in a fight, though. The half-troll decided that they would have to continue it with Blinky, as he'd probably be able to figure it out better than him. That didn't mean they couldn't try to make it muscle memory, though.

He summoned Eclipse to his hand again. "Claire, you want to go again? Slower this time. Muscle memory is crucial, and if you do it right the first couple times then there's no chance for bad habits." He also really wanted to feel whatever that was again. It had been a while since he had been carefree enough to feel like he was flying. The fact that he was sharing it with Claire made the desire a bit stronger.

Smiling, she lifted Daylight again, assuming the first stance the way he had showed her.


	6. Bular Does Not Like Dwarkstones

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

An hour after Claire left Jim's house, her little posse showed up at her own. It was dusk outside, and her father was serving them all Chorizo. "Gracias, papa," she smiled at him. He winked at her in return, walking upstairs. He had just approved her going to Mary's house for the night, which none of them had any intention of doing. Her parents were fine with her staying over at someone's house on a school night; they trusted that she would get all of her work done well enough to keep her grades up. Darci's dad was usually out at night, so he was fine with her staying somewhere else, as long as he was told where it was. Mary's parents never cared enough to ask.

Their plan was set. They were going to leave in the direction of Mary's house, meet up with Toby, then make a beeline to get under the canal. They were all on watch for any signs of a massive troll trying to eat them, as Jim had expressly warned her abut his own run-in with Bular tonight. He was supposedly strolling around the city, though, not near where they were. Hopefully. She couldn't tell exactly tell Darci and Mary that she knew that they were going to run into a man-eating troll, so she settled for telling them to keep an eye out.

They set out on the sidewalk, the sun coloring the sky with waves of red and orange. As soon as they rounded the corner, they spotted Toby on the phone. She knew that it was probably Jim and noticed the way that he didn't hang up when it went in his pocket. Relief washed over her, knowing that they had backup that had already been in this situation. Toby nodded to them as they came up to him and fell into step next to them. "So, Claire, are you ready? I've been told that it's one of the most glorious sights I'll ever see in my lifetime, so the bar has been set a little high for me."

All she felt was a tight knot in her gut with far too many butterflies to be able to fit in it. She sighed. "Not really, but who can really be ready for discovering another world with things that can casually crush you with nothing but the weight of their arm?"

Mary nodded, walking closer to her with her phone tightly gripped in her hand. She looked utterly terrified, but Claire was proud of her for sticking with them. Slightly touched, too. Darci, on the other hand, looked excited, much like Toby. She was walking next to Toby, who looked more excited about a girl actually wanting to be near him than he did about trolls. She rolled her eyes, relieving some of the tension in her gut.

On their way to the trail cutting through the forest, an angry roar came from behind them. They all froze, feeling terror creep up behind them. "Run." Claire's voice was small, and she wasn't sure id the others heard it. " _Run!"_ She yelled at the top of her lungs, glancing behind her.

A black mass that she assumed was a troll was on all fours behind them, pawing at the ground like a bull readying for a charge. They all took off in a dead sprint, Claire hoping that the trees would slow down what she guessed to be Bular. " _I will drink the blood from your skull!"_ He roared, making Mary scream. She was running faster than she had ever seen her move before, tears in the corner of her eyes. Darci didn't look scared, but she was sweating. Toby was somehow in front of all of them, screaming _ohmygosh, ohmygosh_ repeatedly. Darci pulled up next to her, yelling, "Get the armor! Get out the damn armor!"

Claire didn't respond but pulled out the amulet. She knew that it would slow her down, so she would only activate it once they were near enough to the bridge to make it out. The edge of the tress was getting closer, but so were the pounding footsteps behind them. Bular roared again, and she heard a vaguely English accent cursing. _Blinky!_ Her heart soared, since that meant that AAARRRGGHH! was close too.

None of them slowed down when they got to the slanted portion of the canal, her and Darci sliding down it. She knew that would hurt later. Toby and Mary managed to keep their footing and run down the slant, which she silently marveled at. Claire held up her amulet as she made it to the bottom and spun, reciting the incantation. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" Her armor flashed over her, and she really hoped that Jim was on his way. She was too tired from their earlier training to put up too much of a fight.

AAARRRGGHH! caught Toby, who had jumped off the incline, and kept Mary from falling at the bottom. Blinky was shaking something with two hands and covering it with the other two in the way that one would cover a lighter. Something started glowing a sickly green between them, and when Bular burst from the trees Blinky yelled, "Take this, you homicidal troglodyte!" and tossed what she could see was a rock at him.

Bular scrabbled for purchase as he slowed himself to a stop, his eyes widening as he frantically batted the rock away with a hand. A moment later, Claire figured out why as it exploded in the air, dust raining down around them. Bular lost his battle for a grip and tumbled down the incline end over end, roaring as he did so. Blinky pulled out another rock, similarly shaking it with a maniacal grin on his face. Bular pushed himself off the ground, pulling out both his swords and snarling. Claire summoned Daylight to her hands, entering a defensive stance that Jim had managed to cement in her head. Daylight was parallel to the ground, at her chest level and pulled close to her body. Its tip was pointed at Bular.

Blinky cackled as he chucked the other stone at Bular's feet, but then sprinted for the portal under the bridge. He motioned for her to follow, and she didn't even spare the Gumm-Gumm a glance as she followed him into the portal. Behind her, there was an explosion and another of Bular's roars. "Coward! Come and face me, fleshbag!" Claire snorted to herself. That was a definitely nope from her.

The portal closed behind her as she jumped through it, quickly grabbed by AAARRRGGHH! to keep her from falling into a massive void beneath them. She paled, only just now realizing how close to dying she came. Twice.

The mossy giant set her down, examining her carefully. Mary, Darci and Toby were all there, having gone through without her notice. Darci rested her hands on her knees, breathing hard, but smiled at her when she caught Claire's gaze. Mary had collapsed against the wall, cradling her arms and shaking. Her eyes were fixed on some non-existent point across from her and wasn't responding to anything. Claire was extremely worried. Toby was leaning on AAARRRGGHH!'s leg, breathing harder than Darci but seeming far more alert. He nodded to her when she looked to him.

Blinky walked to the edge to the right of them, stepping down. She was about to cry out until a spiraling staircase of crystals lit up and she skipped a breath of her own. Mary was shaken out of her stupor, and she got up, using the wall as support. Darci and Toby both stood up straight, attracted to the edge to look across the glowing expanse. Blinky smiled at their astonishment, gesturing with two of his arms for them to follow him. "Shall we?"

Claire caught up to him on the way down, annoyed at the ease with which he carried himself, both pairs of arms held behind his back. "What did you throw at him?" She was genuinely curious, especially if she could use those. Grenades seemed like they would be a useful part of a Trollhunter's arsenal.

"Those were magical crystals known as Dwärkstone. They're very rare due to the way that they must be mined, but we have a vein of them near Trollmarket. It's the value that's the problem. However, that was an occasion that was more than worth their use. Did you see his face? It was priceless! If only I could have captured it somehow… it would be nice for the former Trollhunters to see their slayer so disgruntled." He seemed exceedingly pleased with himself. AAARRRGGHH! snorted behind them, and she saw a large grin on his face.

"Proud of Blinky," he said. Blinky grinned back at him. "Brave fighting Bular like that."

"Ah, it was nothing. I was not near him."

The Krubera smiled at him despite his humility, and they all reached the bottom. A large hole in the wall cast a bright light across the base of the staircase, and the humans covered their eyes as they walked through it. When their eyes had adjusted enough, they all gasped. Claire felt her jaw drop at the majesty of the underground city before her, all built around the largest crystal she had ever seen in her life. She could feel warmth radiating off of it, as if it was the sun itself. It really was the most beautiful thing she had seen in her life. Blinky walked in front of them, arms wide out as if he was displaying the very world before them. "Welcome to Heartstone Trollmarket." Pride was obvious in his voice.

Next to her Toby grumbled. "Dammit, I owe him ten bucks now."

Claire's armor left her as she committed the view to memory. It was absolutely breathtaking, the glow, the bustle of the trolls, the wonderful architecture… She focused on the trolls, some of which had noticed their little group and were openly gaping at them. A large orange one with hair covering his eyes approached them, a large stone club in his hands. He had a metal harness of some sort. "Humans?" He all but growled.

AAARRRGGHH! moved in front of them, establishing that they were under his protection. "Friends," he said back, with a threatening undertone. The troll nodded, setting off in the direction of the glowing center-stone.

Blinky muttered something under his breath to AAARRRGGHH!, then turned to them. "Brace yourselves," he said. "There's about to be trouble."

They started walking again, more trolls openly staring as they crossed through the streets. "Why?" asked Claire.

Blinky gestured in the direction of the troll that had 'greeted' them. "One of Draal's subordinates," he said. "He's most likely reporting to him now."

"Subordinates?"

"Draal is the head of the law enforcement organization here in Trollmarket. I believe you would call them the police."

Darci raised an eyebrow, walking closer to them. "What do you call them?"

Blinky made some sounds that none of them understood, but then translated it for them. "Warriors of Honor."

They came up to an area close to the center of the market, close to the glowing stone. "That is the heartstone," Blinky explained. "It is the life force of troll kind, meaning that as long as we bask in its glow it provides us with all the nutrients we need. Otherwise we would have to scavenge for sustenance. It is the lack of a stable heartstone that drove the trolls of old to feed on humans."

Claire stared at the heartstone, marveling at the way it rose from the depths. It was the most beautiful thing that she had ever seen or felt. She felt the comfort of her parents back when she was a small child, as if she was being swaddled in love and protection. She shook it off at the thundering steps behind her, reminding herself of Rule One before she turned.

"Humans? Here?!" She assumed that the gigantic blue hedgehog with horns was Draal. She'd be lying if she said that he wasn't intimidating, what with his massive size and horns. She zeroed in on the nose-ring, thinking that if it came to a fight, she could grab it and use it as leverage against him. Other trolls joined in a crowd around them, emboldened by Draal to the point of ignoring AAARRRGGHH!'s growling. They yelled insults at them, screaming about fleshbag invaders. "Human feet have never sullied the ground of Trollmarket before!"

"If you could remain calm, Draal, then I could explain their presence." Blinky said. Draal was taken slightly aback, not expecting the historian to stand up against him. Blinky put a hand on her shoulder, motioning for silence from the crowd. "This is Claire Nuñez, your new Trollhunter!" To her, he whispered, "They'll need some proof."

As the crowd started yelling at the impossibility, she held up the amulet and recited the incantation. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" She made a mental note that surprise on a troll looked very similar to surprise on a human. The trolls had all fallen silent, Draal gaping openly at her. His face contorted into a semblance of rage.

"This can't be! What honor does a human have? What strength do they have? When my father fell, this should have been mine!" he stepped forward, ready to grab the amulet and pull it off her. Heart pounding as the hostile troll came close, Claire held up her arms.

A blast of light made everyone shout. Draal had been propelled by the amulet a few feet back, where he was shaking off his disorientation. The bull-like Troll pushed himself off the ground, anger clear in his exaggerated movements. Draal started to walk away, throwing a final remark over his shoulder. "We'll see what Vendel has to say about this."

AAARRRGGHH! turned a frown (she wasn't sure he could glare) one the crowd, and they quickly dispersed from the silent threat. Blinky clapped his hands, rubbing them together. "Splendid job, Lady Claire! You have gained some respect from the trolls by not backing down."

"So did Blinky." The rumble came from the mossy giant, who was busy watching to make sure that the crowd really did disperse. "Held ground. Trolls didn't expect. Blinky braver now."

"Ah, I decided that if I was brave in the future then there shouldn't be anything stopping me from doing it in the here and now. I have some expectations to uphold from family, you see." Blinky grinned at them, his eyes blinking out of sync.

The other humans rushed up to her. "That was so cool, Claire! The way you got the amulet to blow him away – it was all like, 'Boom! You ain't getting me, spoiled brat!'" Toby, as always, was excited at the display of magic. Darci nodded, and Mary was on her phone. Claire walked behind her, looking over her shoulder. Surprisingly enough, she actually had a signal. She was texting someone labelled as Tight Jeans Hank in her contact list, and Claire rolled her eyes.

"Really Mare? Can't Tight Jeans Hank wait until after we get the mind-boggling discovery of another world out of the way?"

Mary waved a hand dismissively. "The world spins on, Claire, whether we know it or not." She held her phone to her chest, sighing dreamily. "True love doesn't wait for you to get comfortable."

"Well, I'm all for seeing the training now that we're here." Darci crossed her arms over her chest. "If that big black one shows up again, I'd like to have some level of preparedness."

Blinky nodded, starting off in a new direction. They all followed him, taking in the sights around them as they did. The girls saw a market area, and started talking between themselves, making plans to visit it later. Claire saw Toby say something to Blinky, who stroked his chin with a hand. She caught up to hear what they were saying. As she did, Blinky was telling Toby something. "Well, I wanted to tell him first, but I suppose I could tell you."

"Tell him what?"

They looked at her, and Toby smirked. Blinky continued, not noticing anything of the ordinary. "Tobias just asked me what kind of troll Jim had become. I'm not entirely sure, since so little is known about them, but I believe I figured it out."

"Well?"

Blinky shook his head. "Not here," he said. "It would attract unwelcome attention to mention them in the hearing of others."

Toby and Claire exchanged a glance at that. The only other thing they had heard of troll being reluctant to converse about was Changelings, and those were considered inherently evil. If Jim was considered inherently evil, Trollmarket wouldn't be too keen on accepting him.

The rest of their short walk to the Hero's Forge was filled with wonder and stares from trolls. Once they reached the bridge, they all gaped over the side at the lava flowing around it. Mary was still taking pictures of everything, but she had promised earlier not to share them with anyone. Darci snickered, nudging Mary who was taking pictures at the edge. She screamed and the rest of them laughed at her. Finally, they walked into what Claire saw as a coliseum.

"Welcome to the Hero's Forge," said Blinky, spreading his arms. All the humans were gasping, marveling with each other over the expansive height of the ceiling and the heroic statues around them. "Very impressive, is it now?" AAARRRGGHH! smiled at the humans, enjoying their enthusiasm.

Darci frowned at the statues, pointing up at them. "Are those statues of the other Trollhunters?" Blinky nodded.

"They are not statues, though. When a troll is felled, they revert back to the stone from whence they came. Trollhunter's remains are taken here, where they are reassembled into their bodies."

Their jaws all dropped. "That's so metal," whispered Toby.

Mary piped up. "Trollhunter makes it sound like you guys hunt yourselves or something."

"No. Hunt bad trolls. Gumm-Gumms."

"Way to make the bad guys sound real threatening." Toby crossed his arms, seeming unimpressed.

"In troll speak, Gumm-Gumm means bringer of horrible, slow, painful and thoroughly calculated death." Claire gulped. She knew that she wasn't expected to fight sunshine and rainbows, but that was a bit much.

Toby had adopted a look of surprise. He looked at the ground and muttered something. Blinky shrugged, saying, "The Gumm-Gumms, however, stopped being a problem long ago when they were exiled to the Darklands. Only one of their evil number now walk free, and you encountered him tonight. His name is Bular."

Darci nodded. "Yeah, him being unspeakably evil doesn't surprise me." Then something else seemed to occur to her, and she covered her mouth, a horrified look flitting across her face. "Wait, you said they ate people."

"I did indeed, and Bular most definitely does not deviate from that practice."

"All those missing persons cases that never got closed…" And then Darci turned to look at her. "What if Jim…?" Claire immediately shook her head.

"He's fine. I can feel it." She needed to make it seem like she had no reason to be concerned because she did not want to fake it.

Darci and Mary nodded looked at her doubtfully, but Blinky cleared his throat. "perhaps it is time to commence the training. If you could all take a couple steps back." They all moved back a couple feet, even AAARRRGGHH!. "A few more, if you will." They shuffled a couple more feet back. Blinky threw his hands in the air. "Ah, very well." He pushed a knob on the pillar that he stood next to.

Suddenly, the coliseum blazed to life around them. Scythes swung from the walls and pillars burst from the ground, spitting fire at them. Claire screamed in surprise, jumping back. In the confusion, she lost sight of her friends but decided to just focus on staying alive. She frantically ducked under a blast of fire and sprang away when a massive blade swung past her. Blinky clapped for her, shouting, "Excellent reflexes, Lady Claire!" Mary screamed from somewhere to her left.

"I thought training meant starting with the basics!"

Toby yelled his concurrence. "Yeah, with less grindy things!" She heard another gout of flame, Toby screaming. She was more focused on dodging the deathtraps near her.

"Blinkous Galadrigal!" As suddenly as it had started, the arena ground to a stop, blades notching back in the wall and pillars folding back into the ground. Panting, she let herself fall to the ground, trying to process what just happened. Her clothes were blackened in some places, and she was pretty sure that some of her hair had been singed off. She looked over herself, spotting a flame on her leggings and frantically patted it out. She breathed a sigh of relief when her health was assured.

"Blinkous Galadrigal!" The person seemed insistent, whoever they were. Walking over to where Blinky was and away from the deathtrap that was the Hero's Forge, she saw Blinky roll his eyes. She put her hands on her knees next to him, trying to calm her heart down. She looked up at the decidedly maniacal troll.

"Your name is Blinkous?"

"Horrible name, I know. But at least I'm not named Dictatious."

A troll emerged from the door to the arena. With a start, she realized that he looked _old._ She wasn't aware that was possible for a race made of stone. He looked as if he had the horns of a goat, and his hair was a stark white. He walked with a distinct hunch, but she didn't know if that was normal or not for his kind of troll. When he drew near to them, she saw that his eyes were foggy, as if he had cataracts. Of course, that should also be impossible for rocks, but what did she know?

"I wish to meet the Fleshbag supposedly chosen by the amulet."

Mary and Darci walked over, Toby deciding that he would stay with AAARRRGGHH!. The old troll lifted up Mary, who squeaked and paled in fear. "I am Vendel, son of Rundle, son of Kilfred."

Mary seemed to compose herself. A difficult task when being dangled upside down by a goat made of stone. "Uh, I'm Mary, daughter of Li, daughter of Yuan?"

The ancient troll continued, shaking her slightly. "Produce the amulet, Trollhunter." Her phone came out of a pocket. Vendel caught it, examining it closely before crushing it between two of his massive fingers. Mary let out a small gasp as her eyes went wide and her face lost all of its color.

"My phone…" she whispered. Darci rolled her eyes.

Claire raised her hand, getting Vendel's attention. "I think you're looking for me." She pulled out the amulet from a pocket inside her coat.

AAARRRGGHH! laughed when Toby climbed onto his back. Vendel looked over to him, his eyes tightening. The large troll smiled at Vendel, Toby peeking out from his perch on his neck. "Amulet chose," he said to Vendel. His ever-present frown deepened to a glare.

"So Draal tells me." He huffed to himself, drawing up his height while examining Claire. "Ridiculous! However, the amulet has been known to make ill-fated choices." He shot a look at Blinky. "As you know better than most."

Blinky crossed his arms, seemingly taking offense at what the old troll implicated. "It is no fault of mine that Unkar picked a fight with Bular his first as Trollhunter. Besides, this one has already met Bular without any training and survived."

"Indeed?" Vendel turned, focusing all his attention on her. "Perhaps you are not as weak as your fleshy exterior suggests."

"Nor as ignorant." Claire was done with him looking down on her. She spoke the words of greeting in troll language, conveying her honor at being allowed in Trollmarket.

Vendel's surprise was palpable. He cocked his head to the side, narrowing his eyes at her. "And Trollmarket is honored to have you." He spoke in a much rougher voice, as if it was a line he was forced to say. "Regardless, there is one way to know for certain whether the amulet has chosen one who is worthy. The Soothscryer."

Blinky nodded. "Very well." He nodded to Claire, gesturing for her to go to the center of the Forge. As she neared the rings engraved into the floor, a totem rose from the floor, blades whirring and slabs of rock gnashing together inside of it, glowing ominously.

Vendel threw an arm towards it. "Behold, the Soothscryer!" Trolls were very dramatic, Claire was learning. Still, the veritable buzz-saw and rocks slamming together at its mouth did warrant quite a bit of concern from her. Her eyebrows rose as she looked to Vendel. The old troll scoffed, as if she should have already known what to do with it. "Insert your right hand, Trollhunter."

 _That_ did not sound like something that she wanted to do. Her eyebrows rose even higher, and she felt a bead of sweat make its way down her temple at the sight of the totem. "I'll, uh, get it back, right?" Claire chuckled nervously.

"That is part of the test."

"Well, isn't that just swell," she muttered under her breath. She motioned over Mary and Darci. "C'mon, help me up." They each kneeled at the base of the Soothscryer, cupping their hands and holding them out. She stepped into them, and they hoisted her up. She observed the pattern of the blades, hesitantly timing it so that her arm wouldn't be crushed between the rock. As soon as it opened up again, she threw her fist forward. Everything felt fine until she realized that it hadn't stopped, and the rock slammed on to her arm.

Claire screamed more in surprise than in pain. It didn't hurt, oddly enough. Darci and Mary struggled to hold her up as her legs tried to buckle away from the Soothscryer. After several long seconds, the Soothscryer opened once more, allowing her to yank her arm out and fall onto her butt in her desperation to keep her arm intact. Shaking her head, she stood up, trying to figure out what just happened. She examined her arm, which appeared unblemished despite the trauma it just went through.

"Hmm." Vendel strode over to it, examining the mouth of the totem as if he would find something inside it. He turned back to Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! Blinky crossed his arms. The old troll sniffed disdainfully. "Inconclusive."

"What the hell does that mean?" She was not going to stick her arm back in that thing.

"It means, Trollhunter, that a human has never borne the mantle before. The Soothscryer will need more time to render its judgement." Vendel leaned down, bringing his face to her level. She saw what appeared to be stars in his eyes, and she would have gasped at their ancient quality if she didn't dislike him so much. "Let us all hope that you survive long enough to find out." With his part over, he sauntered off, probably to go throw his weight around in other places. He paused next to Blinky. "You have changed. Whether it is for the better or not remains to be seen." Blinky held himself high as Vendel continued past him.

Finally letting the gravity of the situation reach her, Claire sat down. She rubbed her temples, feeling as if the world was spinning underneath her. " _Ay dios mio._ What have I gotten myself into?"

Darci and Mary sat on either side of her. Darci grinned as she rubbed her shoulder. "That something more that you've always wanted to find." Mary leaned into her, her expression still slightly vacant. She wondered if this was what Jim had gone through when he first got his amulet.

Her thoughts turning to the half-troll, she wondered what he was doing right now.

* * *

Jim was listening in on the phone that Toby still had in his back pocket. He had cooked a dinner for his mother for when she walked in from work. He loved the way her face brightened, despite the massive bags under her eyes. She had already gone to bed, after some convincing from him. She had to sleep whenever she could. Currently, though, he was filled with nostalgia. Old Vendel, still alive and grumpy.

Both him and Draal's voices had managed to fill him with a joy that he had never felt except once before, and that was with Claire. But they had convinced him of something that he realized he never truly believed.

Everyone was alive. He could save them.

He was more determined than ever, but he knew that he couldn't go anywhere yet. Claire still needed him here, and he would introduce himself to the elder of Trollmarket and its most avid defender before he went gallivanting to the Old World. Speaking of the Old World, Blinky would be coming to his house as soon as the humans left so that he could teach him about it. He was especially excited to hear what kind of troll he had been combined with.

He heard Toby tell the trolls that it was time for them to leave. "Humans are diurnal creatures. We need to sleep during the night, because we have to get up early in the morning for our education," he explained to Blinky. Jim nodded to himself, happy that his friends would be able to get some sleep. Their trek from Trollmarket to their homes was uneventful, and toby hung up when he got into his house, bidding Jim a good night. Jim settled himself in the kitchen to wait for Blinky to come to the back door.

A few moments later, Blinky was assisted by AAARRRGGHH! over the fence, and the giant himself leapt over. Jim opened the door, inviting them in with smiles and knocked his horns on theirs. Jim situate himself in one of the chairs, with AAARRRGGHH! sitting down in front of him and Blinky continuing to stand. "Claire performed quite admirably for her first time in the Hero's Forge. Almost as if someone had told her about it." Blinky gave Jim a mock glare.

Jim chuckled as he held his hands up. "Wasn't me. That was all her." He rested his hands in his lap, leaning back. It felt good to be talking to his surrogate father again. "I am training her in swordsmanship, though. Something came up during it that'll probably interest you, Blinky. Some weird energy surge between the amulets. Made both of us feel really good, and she was able to mirror all of my moves, no matter how complicated they were. As soon as she tried to do it herself, though, she couldn't."

"That is indeed very interesting. I hope you won't mind if I still have her train in the Hero's Forge."

"Not at all. That's where I trained, I know how helpful it is."

"Good." Blinky rubbed his hands together. "I will look into this phenomenon with the amulets, see if there's anything similar to this in the books. I'm not expecting to find much, regrettably," he warned Jim. The half-troll nodded, expecting something like that. Blinky continued. "Now, onto more somber subjects. I do believe I've found you variant of troll, and it is both good and bad news." Jim motioned for him to continue. He was excited to hear about this, but now also apprehensive. What could be bad about half of his being other than the things he already knew about?

"I believe that you are half Jotun." AAARRRGGHH! grunted. He seemed to be agitated at Blinky's suggestion.

Jim cocked his head at the Krubera. The giant shook his head. "Jotun strong," he said. "But don't care. Everyone else beneath them." Jim frowned. That didn't sound good at all. Then he made a connection, and his brows furrowed with confusion.

"Wait, Jotun? As in frost giants? From Norse mythology?" He wasn't all too surprised to learn that they were trolls. It made sense, if one thought about it. Gave their myths a basis in reality, and much of their inspiration was clear if they really did share their land with the Vikings of old.

"Indeed. The Jotuns, as AAARRRGGHH! said, are an excessively imperious people, deeming all races, both troll and human, lesser when compared to their own. They are very large, too, rivaling the Krubera in terms of mass. However, theirs is much more evenly distributed, making their form appear as overly large humans. In terms of strength, they outclass that of the Krubera due to their more humanoid structure, which is proven true in you. Very little else is known about them. They guard their borders jealously, not hesitating to kill any who approach near them. I'm afraid I can't tell you of their culture or really anything else pertaining to them. Despite having the largest and oldest kingdom, no troll other than the Huldufólk have been allowed within their borders, and even then, the entirety of the Huldufólk swore an eternal fealty to the Jotuns. Huldufólk did however side with the Gumm-Gumms, but every effort has been made to sever contact between Trollmarket and the Old World after the war that saw them banished to the Darklands. I do not know of their fate, only of their cruelty. No Jotuns involved themselves in the war, though."

Jim blinked, trying to absorb the onslaught of information. Once he felt as if he had sufficiently digested it all, he found a most pressing question: "How does Trollmarket see Jotuns? Will they recognize me as one?"

"And that is the heart of the matter. Jotuns are far too secretive. They are legends, and the common troll is wary to the extreme of their mythical might. However, your second quandary is your saving grace. I don't even know if you really are a Jotun. They are supposed to be a pale blue with raised markings over their body, as opposed to the carvings of most trolls. Perhaps they pale with age?" Blinky stoked his chin, muttering theories to himself before he noticed that he was still with Jim. The Trollhunter grinned fondly at his father's antics, before yawning tiredly. He was slightly surprised he could still do that.

Blinky frowned at him. "My child, have you been getting enough rest?"

"I thought trolls didn't need rest. Besides, I've had things to do, plans to create, and a Trollhunter to teach."

"My goodness, whoever told you that?! Of course we need rest, same as every other living creature. We may not sleep often, but that is due to the influence of the Heartstone, which you do not have supporting you. Even then, we must rest ourselves at least once a week. How long has it been since you slept?"

"Uh…" He did a mental count. "Two days?"

Blinky glared at him, and AAARRRGGHH! shook his head sadly. "Jim need sleep. Not sleeping bad."

"Well said, old chum. Why have you been pushing away your rest?"

"Like I said: things to do, plans to create, and a Trollhunter to teach."

Blinky shook his head. "That is not ample reason. You had best rest. We will continue this lesson later."

"No, it's fine!" he insisted. "You're already here. I'll even write it down if you want."

Blinky sighed. Jim knew that the troll's weakness was that he could not resist teaching those eager to learn. It was his favorite thing to do. "Very well. The next time I give you a lesson, you had better have all this memorized."

Dutifully getting out a pencil and a notebook, Jim nodded his assent. Blinky took a deep breath before he began his tale.

"Of the trolls that you have spoken of in your tales, only the Quagawumps and Gato are native to the Americas. Every other kind of troll travelled here, hiding away on the boats of human colonists. The event is known as the great Exodus and spanned nearly a century, before we had a larger population of trolls here than most kingdoms. We fled oppression and prejudice, absolute rulers and wars, much as your people did. The difference was that we came here with the intent of starting a new nation. When we discovered the largest Heartstone ever recorded, we severed all communication with the Old World and prevented any immigrants from reporting the find to the kingdoms there. They would only come to conquer what became our sanctuary. In accordance with the newfound equality and freedom of our new state, we banned any troll from identifying themselves by race. Even now, most trolls could not tell you their own race if you asked, as that knowledge was buried to prevent the hatred and conflict prevalent in the Old World."

"While this is really fascinating and all," interjected Jim. "You were going to teach me about the Old World."

"I was trying to tell you how different it is to what you know. Your heritage is everything there, or at least it was when we left. There are several major troll nations in what you know as Europe, but only a couple of them will not respect the authority of the Trollhunter. There is an old treaty signed by all kingdoms that forces them to recognize your authority. However, you will still face much prejudice." Here, Blinky took a breath, seemingly troubled by the topic. "Most will assume that you are a cross between two troll kinds. There is a special, vile name that they have for those trolls. They will call you a tark."

AAARRRGGHH! sucked in a breath, frowning into the distance. "Bad word. Don't ever say."

"How bad is it to be called that?"

"Imagine the worst thing that you can possibly call a human based on their race. Magnify that, as they are also insulting and demeaning your ancestry along with you. Then you have that word."

As part of the majority, Jim had never really experienced or given much thought to racism. He had never really understood the reason for it before, and never looked that much into it. It wasn't a problem around Arcadia. "Trolls can be racist. Huh," he said to himself. Then he looked back to Blinky. "Will they refuse me based on that?"

"Not openly, no. But they still may accost you and attack you verbally for it. Your life will be very hard. Do not let them find out that you are half-human, that will make it far worse."

"For my plan to work, I'm going to have to."

Blinky closed his eyes. He held his temples with his top two arms and clasped his two lower hands, rubbing them nervously. "What in Deya's grace would force you to endanger yourself?"

Jim snorted, thinking of several different times. "I want to unify the troll world."

Blinky froze. He opened his eyes, peering at Jim. "Do you have any idea the magnitude of the task that you suggest?"

"I'm not expecting to finish it by the time I come back here. My goal is to simply get them to talk to each other for now." He didn't think that was too hard of a goal, but Blinky said that everything that they knew about them came from at least four hundred years ago. Not exactly the most up-to-date information by any standard. He would be going into this blind, but he would make sure that he was damn well prepared for it.

"Even that may prove to be too difficult a task for anyone. Even the Bane of Gunmar."

"Not the Bane of Gunmar. Not yet."

"But I assume you have a plan for that as well." Blinky examined his surrogate son closely. In the end, he rubbed his horns against Jim's an exasperated fondness becoming prevalent. "I have known you for all of three days an already I can feel greatness being radiated by you. If anyone can accomplish this, it is you. But I must ask, for what reason?"

He pulled back from Blinky, a sigh coming from the loss of contact. "A united troll world would've meant that the Gumm-Gumms wouldn't even be an issue. Gunmar was pathetically weak coming out of the Darklands. The only reason that he was able to take over is because of Usurna and the lack of aid from any other trolls."

"You underestimate the vastness of their armies."

"You overestimate how many can get through the bridge."

Blinky tapped his chin for a moment before conceding. "A fair point. And the troll kingdoms did unite briefly to combat the Gumm-Gumms… but there is not a common enemy left to unify against anymore."

"I'll find something, Blinky. I always do." He glanced at the clock, reading it as three o'clock. "You guys should probably get back to Trolllmarket."

Blinky nodded. AAARRRGGHH! pulled himself off the floor, waiting for Blinky to open the door so he could squeeze himself out. His mentor turned back to him. "Next time I will tell you of those who do not respect the authority of the Trollhunter. It is them that you will have to avoid."

Jim nodded, smiling at them as a goodbye. AAARRRGGHH! helped Blinky back over the fence before vaulting it himself, waving at Jim over his shoulder before plodding off on his knuckles into the night.

Closing the door, Jim let his smile drop. He massaged the bridge of his nose, feeling more tired than ever before. Despite what he told Blinky, though, he had no intention of talking to Morgana any time soon. He would be forced to confront her again eventually, but that was a battle for another day.

He trudged over to the couch and plopped himself down on it. For now, he would watch Gun Robot and forget about all his problems, just for a little bit. He looked down over the notes he had taken, throwing them onto the table. He would worry about those later. His eyes trailed up his chest to the softly pulsing amulet. He wished he could take it off and throw it on the table as well. Or through a wall. Either would work.

The armor remained stubbornly attached to his body, though. He felt anger and frustration rise within him, and he sat up straight as he felt a guttural frowl make its way through his throat. Jim started breathing deliberately, counting to ten to control it. He hated how intense his emotions were as a half-troll, and once more he felt disgust rise within him as he contemplated his changed self.

He raised his hands next to each other, examining the differences between them. The longer he looked at his right hand, though, the angrier he got, so he quickly abandoned the activity in favor of focusing on Gun Robot. Jim sternly reminded himself of why he was doing this in the first place.

He just wanted to stop being the Trollhunter. Just for a little bit.


	7. Get Some Rest, Tall Child

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters is owned by Guillermo del Toro.**

 **I apologize for the long wait, but reality took precedence for a bit.**

* * *

The moon was very pretty.

It was something that Jim had noted, just something that he suddenly realized that it seemed that he should have known before. Now though, he had some fascination with it. It was amazingly bright for an over glorified mirror. He could make out everyone of the craters on this side of it due to his enhanced vision. He started counting the craters when he heard rustling in the bushes around him.

The half-troll had gotten tired of doing nothing but sitting around inside and had decided that he would be going out for the night, experiencing the world for a troll. He had realized with a start that not only was it his first time going out in this timeline, it was also the first time that he would be experiencing the world as this amalgamation that he had become. Later, he would be meeting up with his Trollhunter gang; Blinky, AAARRRGGHH!, Claire, and Toby, but for now he just wanted to explore the world with his new view. By now, Jim could safely say that it was infinitely more beautiful than it had been as a human.

He could not appreciate all the smells of the forest, nor the sights of the animals scurrying about. The owls calling to each other, bats flitting throughout the night as the circle of life turned onwards. Winds whistling trough trees, brushing past his hardened skin. Everything was in crystal clarity to his eyes, adapted to this darkened landscape. The moonlight seemed as bright as the sun's rays, filling the forest with a silver light.

The bushes, however, had stayed mostly quiet near him throughout his stroll through the forest. He had gone still upon observing the beauty of the moon, however, and it seemed that the nocturnal denizens of the forest were getting interested in him. Jim stayed where he was, sitting on his calves with his hands supporting his weight. A squirrel appeared before him, crawling out from the bushes.

Next thing he knew, he was sitting against a tree, crunching down on something very hard and tasty. He felt something juicy fill his mouth, and he made a sound of appreciation at its taste. Then he smelled what he was eating.

The scent of iron filled his nostrils and he looked down at his hands where he held the mangled corpse of a squirrel. There was a very large and obvious bite mark in its side. His eyes widened, and he spat out his mouthful in disgust. He threw what was left of the squirrel away from him, ignoring how tantalizing it was in favor of retching in absolute revulsion at his own actions. His hands were covered in blood as well, which inspired both horror and hunger within him.

He jumped into the trees, running away as fast as he could toward where he knew the lake to be. It wasn't very large, but it was large enough to try and wash the blood off of his hands.

In no time, he made it to the edge of the lake. It was in the more wooded area, but there was a dock where people would drive their motorboats from that was father down. He found rocks where could perch over the water and plunged his hands in the water, desperately scrubbing at the troll skin and his armored grooves.

Once Jim felt clean again, he jumped back onto the dirt that dropped off into the water. Laying his back against a tree, he pulled his knees up to his chest, hiding his head between his hands. Not for the first time, he wondered just what kind of a monster Merlin had turned him into.

Much later, after the moon rose to its apex, Jim heard steps behind him. Flicking his ears, he determined that they were troll steps, most likely Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! judging from the weight behind them. He didn't know any other trolls with such a large size difference that came above ground often.

They had decided that he would be teaching Claire tonight, as they wanted to avoid the conflict with Draal for a bit longer so that she would be able to put up enough of a fight to be able to gain his respect. However, there was no way they would all be able to fit in his basement and train at the same time, and he wanted to get outside for once. So, they had decided that they would meet at the lake, which had clearing near it and was deep enough in the forest that no one would bother them.

The half-troll hadn't exactly recovered from his earlier experience, but he had loosened up enough to be dangling his feet over the water, resting his elbows on his thighs as he gazed at the moons reflection on the lake. Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! trudged into the clearing behind him, and Jim looked to them briefly before returning his gaze to the lake.

Blinky sat on one side of him and AAARRRGGHH! on the other. "Master Jim, what is wrong? I thought getting outside would do you some good. Instead, you look as if you have lost yourself."

A humorless grin flitted across Jim's face. "I did much more than lose myself, Blinky." He didn't elaborate further than that and was happy that Blinky didn't press him for more. Instead, the multi-eyed troll laid a hand on Jim's armor shoulder. Much of the effect was lost to him since he could not feel it, and he was once more struck with an irrational rage.

Growling, he shook off Blinky's arm and stood up. Jim bounded to the center of the clearing, breathing heavily as he tried to calm himself down. "Master Jim?" Blinky sounded concerned, and when he looked at him, it was obvious upon his face. "Master Jim, what has happened?" AAARRRGGHH! padded closer to him, leaning forward on his knuckles as he sniffed Jim's face. Snarling, Jim shoved his face away. Regret instantly filled him as he saw the hurt look appear on the giant's face.

"I'm sorry," he said, letting himself sit on the ground. He rubbed his eyes. "It's not your fault. It's just… I don't know how to deal with this." Blinky gently took hold of his wrists, and Jim allowed him to pull them from in front of his face.

His surrogate father frowned at him. "Not sleeping is probably not the best starting point." Jim was surprised at how disappointed his tone was. "I'm surprised you're even able to function without any form of rest for four days! I will tell Toby and Claire that we will have to postpone this until you rest."

"I'm fine!" He knew he wasn't. His mother was a doctor, Jim was fully aware of the effects of not sleeping for three days. Coffee was his main form of sustenance at this point, and he had started having minor hallucinations earlier that day. His fatigue had been replaced by energy with no direction. It was the main reason he wanted to get out of the house.

The microsleeps were the worst parts, though. It was probably the reason he caught and started eating the squirrel. He would randomly drift off, his surrounding changing with a blink with no idea how he got into the new room that he was in.

Blinking, Jim realized that was now sitting against AAARRRGGHH!'s leg. Well, speak of the devil. They were both looking at him very concerned now, and he saw that Toby and Claire had joined them. "Oh, hey guys, when did you get here?"

"About five minutes ago? You seemed kinda spaced out, Jimbo. You doing alright?" Toby fidgeted with his hands, examining his eyes. Claire knelt in front of him.

"We can do this some other time…" She had her amulet in her hand, but all of her focus was on his eyes. He would have been very flattered if they weren't so concerned.

"I'm fine, guys. We should probably get started." He stood up, pushing himself off AAARRRRGGHH!. Dizziness came over him, and he fell right back down.

"AAARRRGGHH!, old chum, do me a favor and keep him down. It's time we spoke about this." Complying with Blinky's command, Jim felt a massive weight press down on his chest. He looked up into AAARRRGGHH!'s face, panic welling up within his chest. Blinky, Toby and Claire crowded around his head. "Master Jim, we have been lenient, but this has reached the point that an intervention is required. You must stop doing this to yourself."

"What's happening?" Claire seemed confused, but she was still concerned for him. Right now, he was barely listening, just trying to breathe beneath the crushing weight of his own instincts, currently telling him to lash out and destroy the cause of his panic.

He briefly tuned back into their conversation, focusing on something other than his own anxiety as he squirmed beneath AAARRRGGHH!'s palm. "Oh my god! Jim, you can't just not sleep for three days and say that you're fine! Most people shut down at that point!" She loomed over him, the shadows on her face briefly mixing with his earlier hallucinations to turn her into something else. At that point, he lost the battle against his instincts.

Jim kicked up with all the exhausted strength he could muster, feeling briefly vindictive when he felt them smash into what was holding him down. The weight on his chest disappeared as it went flying into the trees on the other side of the clearing, and he immediately flipped on to his feet, roaring a challenge while summoning Eclipse to his hand. He observed the three creatures across from him.

All at once, the shadows surrounding them cleared. He realized that he had just been preparing to attack his friends, and they were scared shitless. Claire had summoned Daylight to her shaking hands, grasping it in front of her in a defensive position, and Toby was cowering behind Blinky, who had a grim, distressed look on his face with his lower hands in the pouches at his sides.

He dropped Eclipse on the ground, feeling it disappear as his knees followed it. "I'm sorry," he rasped, feeling nausea rise within him. "I'm sorry," he repeated. He felt Toby hugging him, but it felt so far away, and he could only feel his armor being pressed inwards. Shoving Toby off him, he started scrabbling at the amulet, just wanting the damn thing _off_. A wave of claustrophobia came over him, and he fell on his side, clawing at grooves around it. He drew himself into a ball, sobbing as he tried to physically pull the amulet off, but he couldn't get a good enough grip. Eventually, he gave up and covered his head with his hands.

Jim felt someone – _AAARRRGGHH! –_ lift him up, and the trees started to move past him. He told AAARRRGGHH! that he was sorry before he started crying again, and then lost consciousness, lulled to sleep by the swaying of the giant's arms.

* * *

"You've been avoiding me."

Jim didn't even bother to look up. He wasn't in the mood for Morgana's shit.

"Come now. I've been so lonely. Especially after you severed my magic."

"Go away." Remembering how this dreamscape worked, he imagined rocks encapsulating him. He closed his eyes, deciding to see whether he could sleep in here.

"Well, aren't we mature." Startled, he looked up, seeing a hole in the rock. Frowning, he closed it with a thought, only to see another one open. He closed that one too, so Morgana poked another hole. This went on for several minutes before Jim got tired of it and dispelled the rocks. Morgana grinned victoriously at him. She wasn't in her armor this time, just a dress that one might see in the 1920s. She had a long raven black ponytail trailing behind her, going all the way to the back of her knees.

"What the hell do you want?" She covered her smile with a dainty hand. The one that wasn't made of emerald.

"Just some companionship. A girl gets so lonely, you know. And not talking to me for days? One might think that you didn't like me!"

"I hate you!" Jim roared. "You took everything from me! My mother struggles to talk with me, the girl who loved me is terrified of me, my father and brother are wary of me, and my best friend lost his only friend! I can't even sleep without you fucking with me anymore!"

"Well, that's quite a passionate response. I didn't make you a tark, that was entirely your decision."

"Yeah, I've learned what that means now."

"And doesn't it burn you to know how true it is? To know that you really are an abomination, not worthy of love from anyone? Your family, the girl you courted, your friend? They all recognize what you've become, and they have reacted accordingly."

"Yeah?" Jim felt bitterness surge in him. "Then why haven't they left me?"

"You killed Gunmar while fighting both him and Angor Rot together. They would be idiots to incur your wrath."

It made sense. It shouldn't have, but it made sense. Blinky even told him that he was a tark in a roundabout fashion, and his mother only barely talked to him now. Claire was terrified of him until recently, but there was a good chance she would go back to that now that he nearly killed them. But Toby…

Jim shook his head. He refused to believe her. "I think the only idiot here is you." He summoned Eclipse.

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. "Oh please. I'm the only one that won't leave you. I'm the only one that knows what you're going through."

"I don't give a shit." Even he could only be pushed so far. His armor brightened in his anger, and Jim decided it was time to test what death in this dreamland meant.

Faster than Morgana could react, he jumped behind her and rove Eclipse through her spine. Confusion filled him when she started laughing.

"Didn't you learn your lesson the last time? That sword can't kill me." That was fine. It wasn't too hard to get around. He wrapped his hands around her head, feeling her pulse quicken. "What are you doing?"

He jerked his hands, feeling her bones snap as she gasped. He let her lifeless body hit the ground. For a while, Jim stared at the corpse, sitting in front of it. Slowly, it started to fade, turning to ash from the feet up. He sighed, hoping that was the end of it. Jim was beyond revulsion at this point.

"That was rude."

He massaged his temples. "Can you just leave me alone?"

Her arms draped over his shoulders. Startled at the contact, he launched up, landing a full ten feet away from her. Morgana laughed, taking pleasure in his misery. "Well, I can't say that killing me is going to inspire me to be nice to you."

"You being a bitch isn't going to get me to not kill you."

She held up her hands. "Now that we've determined that death has no bearing here, can't we be civilized with each other?"

"What do you propose?"

"Neither of us truly knows the other. Let's rectify that, hmm?" She created an elaborate throne behind her, sitting elegantly on it.

He narrowed his eyes, deciding to stand. "And how are we going to do that?"

"Questions of course. Now, I know that the life of a tark such as you may not have too much interest, but for the sake of passing time I'll listen anyways. I'll start: What is your favorite thing to do?"

Sighing, Jim resigned himself to Morgana's little game. He summoned a far less elaborate chair for him to sit on, one that allowed to him to easily move if he needed to. "I enjoy cooking and doing things with my friends. You?" He didn't exactly have anything better to do.

"I make plans to rise from my prison and wipe the insects known as humanity off the planet. IT's also quite amusing to watch my little changelings try to figure out what I'm telling them to do, and then scurry about to make me happy."

"You're disgusting."

"I created them. It's only fair that their lives are dedicated to pleasing me."

He shook his head. "What do you have against humanity? You are human."

A thunderous look appeared on his face. "Do not ever presume to call me such a lesser being again, tark."

"Or what? You'll wear my spine as your crown?" He rolled his eyes. "Any threats you make are as empty as a Gumm-Gumm's head."

She struggled with herself for a bit before allowing only a look of contempt to remain on her face. "I hate humanity because they are all hypocritical cowards who cannot keep their promises. Their morality is a joke; they constantly cross their own lines. They balk at the first sign of change, attempting to stomp it out. Anything that's different is labelled as something to be hated."

He snorted to himself. "And yet you call me tark for the same reasons. I am different, and therefore hated. Remind me how humans and trolls are different?"

"Trolls are honest about their nature. They don't hide behind a mask of compassion and empathy before stabbing you in the back. Trolls will stab you in the front, but they do recognize and respect power rather than fear it."

"Who betrayed you?" Jim asked quietly. She froze, looking at him wide-eyed before she clamped down on herself and glared at him again.

"This is over." Her throne rose from the ground, a tower of stone and iron forming around it. Before long, Jim was looking at a much darker version of a tower that he would expect to find Rapunzel in.

"Hey, you started it!" He yelled at the top of it, standing. There was no reply. Jim snorted to himself. "Drama queen."

A blinding white covered the dreamland, and he prepared himself for the waking world.

* * *

Toby's snoring face was the first thing he saw as he sat up. Then he smelled Claire's distinct scent somewhere near him, indication that she was recently there. Jim sat up, realizing that he was in his bed. He heard clanging coming from down the stairs, so he sat up, intending to go find out who it was.

Walking down the stairs, he noted that it was dark outside. That either meant he hadn't slept long at all or he'd been sleeping for the better part of a day. He sniffed, picking up his mother's scent in the kitchen. "Mom?" he called.

"Good night, honey. We need to have a chat." He winced. That was not a good tone of voice. He vaulted over the stairs, landing on the hardwood. Striding over to the kitchen, he stood in the doorway and noticed that Claire was helping his mother with something. Jim cocked his head to the side, wondering what they were carrying. Barbara followed his line of sight and sighed. She handed him a bag that was full of raw steak.

"Blinky said that the best thing for you to eat at your age was raw meat. Apparently, the iron in the blood is good for you, and your digestive acids can kill the diseases. You can't eat cooked food because most of the nutrients and taste have been burned out of it according to him." He accepted it warily, thinking back to the squirrel. He was filled with the same mix of hunger and disgust. Making a decision, he put the steak down on the counter. Looking up, he met an intense glare from his mother.

"Oh no, mister. We'll talk about your sleeping in a second, but right now I'm not going to let you hurt yourself further by not getting the proper nutrients."

"It's just…" He grabbed his horns nervously. "I figured out that I could eat raw meat last night. In the forest. There was a squirrel, and it…" Jim looked down, his voice becoming much quieter. "I don't want to do that again."

He felt his armor pushing into his waist. Claire was hugging him. "It's okay, Jim. We're all fine. AAARRRGGHH! is okay too."

Jim sat down heavily on the floor, his back against the counter. Claire followed him, moving her arms to his neck and sitting in his lap as he hugged her back. Tears burned in the corners of his eyes. "I won't ever do that again. I'm so sorry."

"I know." She squeezed, letting him bury his face into her shoulder, as much as he could with the massive difference in size. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Jim trying to regain his composure as his breath shuddered and his mother looked on sympathetically. Eventually, he pulled back.

"Why do you care about me?" he whispered to Claire. "I'm nothing to you. I'm just some random tark that happened to be sent back in time."

"Because I want to be like you." _That_ threw him for a loop. Whatever he was expecting, which was something more along the lines of what Morgana told him, that definitely wasn't it.

"Why the hell would you want to be like me?"

"Language, Jim." His mother piped up. He heard her turn on the microwave.

"I've watched you for a long time now, even before all of this. I knew you had a crush on me, you weren't exactly subtle with it. But I had one on you, too. You always came in every day with a smile on your face and you would always try your hardest in class, despite everything I heard about you. You've never gotten angry at anyone, and you always helped out everyone around you without expecting anything in return, whether it was homework, someone's boyfriend cheating, or they just needed to talk. You were a hero before you ever got the amulet, Jim. You were a hero to us." She held his face in her palms and smiled at him. "Just because you got a new body doesn't mean you stopped being you."

Jim looked down. He didn't feel like he deserved the amount of compassion on her face. Not when she was completely and utterly wrong. His mother cleared her throat. "Jim, you need to eat, and we need to talk to you. Preferably with Toby here."

As if on cue, they heard thumping coming from upstairs with a muffled oof. Toby came running down the stairs. "Jim's dissa – oh, hey Jim." He visibly tried to collect himself, before examining the position that Jim and Claire were in. "Well, well, well, look at this. Good going, my man." Rolling his eyes, Jim waited for Claire to stand. She tightened her grip before letting go.

They all congregated around the kitchen table, with Jim's mom passing around re-heated portions of the meal that Jim made last night. Jim himself just had a plate with a raw, bloody steak in front of him. Hesitantly, he took a bite out of it, and noted that it was similar to cold pizza. It wasn't bad, it just would've been better if it was warm. Then he forced the thought out of his head in disgust. "What is it that you want to talk about, Mom?"

"It's eight forty-five at night. You passed out just after midnight. You've been pushing off sleep enough that you slept for twenty hours, Jim. Last night, you were hallucinating and extremely aggressive. That's not healthy. So, we want to know why so that we can avoid it next time."

Glancing at Toby, Jim was once again struck with appreciation for the godsend that was his best friend. Toby knew exactly what the problem, but still followed through on his promise to Jim. Once again, Jim felt guilt rise up within him, knowing that he had never been as great of a friend as Toby was to him.

"It's… not something that's fixable. I tried it this time." Toby choked on his food, wildly coughing before Jim slammed his back hard enough that food went flying into the wall opposite Toby.

" _You killed her?!"_ Toby stared at him with a dumbfounded look. He looked slightly green.

"She took everything from me, Toby. I almost attacked you guys because I was too afraid to face her. Yeah, I killed her. It didn't work."

"What are you two talking about?" His mom was looking between them, a disturbed look on her face. "You _killed_ someone? In your sleep?"

"Remember when I told you about Morgana?" At Claire and his mother's nods, he took a deep breath. "The magic she hit me wit that sent me back connected us somehow. Every time I sleep, I go to this dreamland with just me and her. She's lost all her power though, and I thought that maybe if I killed her, she'd stop."

Claire gaped at him. "You… what? You _killed_ someone?"

He smiled grimly. "Rule two, Claire."

His mother shook her head. "Ignoring the traumatizing effects of killing someone for now, what happened after that?"

"Her body took a couple of minutes to turn to some sort of dust. She just reformed out of that."

His mother let a relieved smile spread across her face. "She didn't die. Jim, killing a human being isn't something that you can just ignore."

"I can when it's the woman who tried to end the human race multiple times and essentially ended my own life." Anger simmered within him as it always did, but it was becoming more prevalent now. He finished his first steak and started on the second one. Now that he was actually eating, he realized that he was famished. He had been ignoring his hunger for a while, only eating pencils and the occasional plastic implement that he put in his mouth without realizing. Everything else, his mom needed, so he wasn't going to eat it.

Then a thought occurred to him. Swallowing his mouthful, he tilted his head while looking at Claire. "Are you going to Trollmarket tonight?"

"Yeah. I'm probably ready to at least give Draal's pride a beating."

Anxiety surged through him. "What? But you haven't gone through nearly the amount of training that we wanted you to!"

"It's not like he'll kill me, Jim. He just wants to make himself feel good by beating the Trollhunter." Seemingly unconcerned, Claire took a bite from her food. Jim wasn't fooled, though. He could hear how fast her heart was beating.

"Back to the original topic, are you going to sleep from now on, Jim?" his mother interjected.

He nodded reluctantly. This time, he actually would. Attacking his friends was something he would never repeat if he could help it.

"One thing about that whole fiasco last night…" Jim met Toby's eyes, which were unnaturally serious. "Jim, you are actually the swolest troll in existence."

He grinned, raising an eyebrow. "What?"

"What he means to say is that Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! were impressed by, and I quote, 'your otherworldly amount of strength.' And I've gotta admit, seeing you launch something as big as AAARRRGGHH! was pretty awe-inspiring." Claire shook her head, an impressed smile on her face. "We were all freaked out at the time, but thinking back on it, launching what has to be a two-tonne troll was awe-inspiring. Plus, the look on AAARRRGGHH!'s face was priceless. I don't think he's used to being tossed around like that."

"But yeah, Blinky said that at your body size, you should only be marginally stronger than a regular human. Apparently, you are the strongest troll in history," said Toby, crossing his arms.

"I did chuck Gunmar a good fifty feet in our fight." Toby shook his head in amazement.

"What the hell are your muscles even made of, Jim?" They all laughed, and Jim was infinitely grateful for his friends and family.

* * *

When Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! came to escort Claire to Trollmarket, Jim was waiting for them outside her house. "Hey, guys. Sorry about last night."

Blinky put a hand on his shoulder. "You have the proper rest now, Master Jim. The lesson has been learned, and I assume the mistake will not be repeated." He gave him a look, and Jim nodded eagerly. AAARRRGGHH! bent down, sniffing him before knocking his horns to Jim's. They smiled at each other before Jim got serious.

"Blinky." When the troll made an affirmative sound, he continued. "I want to go to Trollmarket tonight."

The two troll's eyes widened. "Not a good idea. Vendel smart. See through lies."

"I don't plan on meeting Vendel. I plan on covering up the amulet and not being seen with any of you guys."

"Even so, Master Jim, you will instantly be pegged as different by everyone who sees you. Your coloration and proportions are completely unique, even in Trollmarket. This can only end in disaster."

Jim thought about it. He had mostly assumed that since Trollmarket was so free, they'd be fine with him. Apparently not. He had another thought, though. "Hey Blinky, you know those stones that the other Trollhunters used?"

"Yes?"

"There's one that allows a troll to walk in daylight, right?"

Blinky grinned. "There is indeed. I will see what I can do to get it away from Vendel." He nuzzled Jim's head. "I will be back later tonight to teach you more of the Old World." He spoke a goodbye in trollish, which Jim somehow understood.

"Could you also explain to me how I understood what you just said?" His surrogate father smiled and nodded.

Feeling assured that it wasn't a total loss, Jim jumped into the trees, intent on exploring more of the forest and experiencing its beauty for the night.

* * *

The Hero's Forge was awe-inspiring. The high ceiling, the various death implements, the lava moat. All watched over by the remains of the greatest heroes in troll history.

And yet Claire was getting rocks chucked at her by a certifiably insane troll.

Bringing her sword up, she stepped to the side of some of the rocks and blocked the rest with Daylight, feeling her forearms jar with the effort. Stepping back so that she could keep her balance, Claire forced the sword to stay away from her face as each rock hit it. Finally, the barrage stopped. "You know, I was already told about the rules." A rock slammed into her from behind.

Rubbing her head, she shot a glare at a sheepish AAARRRGGHH!. Blinky gaped for a moment. "He what? But that is my sacred duty!"

"He did fondly reminisce over the rocks while he was talking about it."

Blinky brightened instantly. Darci and Mary, resting next to AAARRRGGHH!, exchanged glances. Toby simply threw another rock into the giant's mouth.

"Did he also explain Rule Three?"

Darci tilted her head. "Rule Three?"

"When in doubt, kick them in the gronk-nuks."

Mary looked up from her new phone. "Gronk-nus?"

Blinky tapped his foot twice on the ground. A massive scythe came up, slamming its point directly between Claire's legs. Both her and Darci's eyes widened, Mary mouthing a small oh. Claire glared at Blinky, stepping away from the blade. AAARRRGGHH! covered his groin, muttering about the horror. Darci asked, "You're saying that one third of being the Trollhunter is kicking someone's genitals?"

"Precisely."

"Ah, so the Trollhunter's training begins?" Draal's deep voice came from the entrance to the Hero's forge, where he was walking down the steps. They all looked to him, wary of what someone so eager to beat down Claire would be doing. "I thought the great Trollhunter might accept my services as a sparring partner." The disingenuousness voice that he used left no doubt in their minds as to what he really meant. "Part of your training regiment, isn't it?" he put his fist into his other hand as he towered over Claire.

"This would be more useful farther down the line, Draal. You-" He was cut off by Vendel.

"Why wait?" Vendel strode into the stands above the Forge, his hands behind his back. "I am eager to see your charge demonstrate her mettle."

Claire's eyes tightened, but she doubted he could see it from up there. "If you want to see me beaten so bad, why don't you come down here and do it yourself, you old goat!"

Draal and Blinky gasped. Vendel merely cocked his head to the side before chuckling to himself. "Let them spar."

"No harm in it," said Draal, walking away. Except there was. There was a lot of harm potentially involved in it. Nonetheless, she followed Blinky to the side of coliseum.

"And advice?" she whispered to him. He glanced back at her.

"Hit him. Do it hard, too. But don't kill him. And please don't let him kill you, my son appears to be rather attached to you." Claire smiled, happy that Jim had people beyond her, Dr. Lake, and Toby that cared about him. She quickly sobered when she turned to face Draal, though. She got in a defensive stance that Jim taught her during her one afternoon of training.

Draal started roaring, pounding the ground like an angry gorilla before barreling towards her. She tensed her muscles, ready to dodge. The troll suddenly curled in on himself, rolling at her. "Oh my god, he really is Sonic the hedgehog," she muttered to herself as she jumped out of the way. Draal rolled up the wall of the stadium, defying physics as he curled back into the stadium. Quickly figuring out that he was coming down right on to of her, she dived, hitting the ground and rolling as the troll slammed into the ground behind her.

Dust obscured her vision, so she picked a direction and ran. She only barely managed to dodge a fist, and then realized that she had a slight advantage. She jumped back into the dust cloud, listening for Draal. Figuring out where he was, she silently got behind him and kicked between his legs.

Draal roared in pain, falling on his knees as he cradled the area. She quickly got to his side, slashing at his arm. A gash appeared, blue fire outlining it. Draal roared again and lashed out with his arm, and Claire wasn't able to move in time.

The arm slammed into a shield that appeared just before her, and her form was briefly outlined in blue fire as the amulet protected her from the worst damage. It did not protect her from hitting the ground and tumbling across it, though. She winced, trying to get herself up as fast as she could. She pushed on Daylight, which was wedged into the ground. As she looked up, though, her vision was filled with a blue fist. She went flying again, and Daylight dispelled itself.

"Claire!" shouted Darci and Mary. She spared them a quick glance. Mary was covering her mouth and AAARRRGGHH! was holding Darci back.

Draal picked her up before she could get off the ground again. He threw her up in the air and smashed another fist into her body as it fell, and she could feel the bruise already forming from that as she rolled across the ground. Her adversary grabbed her by the torso, his massive fingers wrapping around her whole ribcage. He made one mistake, though. Her arms were still free.

As he carried her to the side of the coliseum and dangled her over the lava, she summoned Daylight and pressed it into his neck.

Surprise covered Draal's face. Blinky laughed and started clapping, AAARRRGGHH! and her friends joining him. She looked into the stands where Vendel was, and though she couldn't quite make out his face, she swore that it was filled with disbelief. Her friends started running to her, and she tapped Draal's hand to put her down. She did not dispel Daylight.

Draal's hand tightened briefly, and in response the arms of her amulet spun, forcing it to remain rigid. A glare filled the blue troll's face, and he threw her onto the coliseum floor.

AAARRRGGHH! quickly scooped her up, keeping her from rolling again. Blinky stomped up to Draal.

"Draal, I was present at your birth and I have known you your entire life. I have never been so ashamed of that! Where has your honor gone? You would beat an adolescent human female with no training because you didn't get what you wanted? You are no better than a newborn whelp, an infantile _gragk_!" Blinky was in Draal's face, pointing a finger and yelling at his full volume. Draal looked utterly confused and downtrodden before he grew angry once more.

"I don't answer to you, feeble historian! What respect of mine do you deserve?" He shoved Blinky aside before storming to the entrance of the Hero's Forge. "And you, fleshbag! If you have any honor at all, you will meet me here again at the zenith of the moon in seven days' time. There, we will settle this once and for all!"

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! gasped. Claire realized that he just challenged her to the duel that they were trying so hard to avoid. She glared at him and said, "I'll be there."

Vendel left the Forge as Draal did. Blinky huffed to himself. "I practically raised the boy, giving him advice when his father was chosen. What do I get? This!" AAARRRGGHH! rumbled something in trollish, coming up next to him. Blinky sighed and patted his friend's arm. "I know, AAARRRGGHH!. Perhaps this can be a good thing. We will be able to introduce him to our other friend after you win without him telling the entirety of Trollmarket after you win." He directly the last part of the statement to Claire.

Claire nodded, but felt a heavy feeling press down on her. He was strong, fast, and most importantly, he had experience. She had no idea how she was going to beat him.

Blinky seemed to notice this. "Do not worry, Fair Claire. We will give you the best training that you could possibly have! You will annihilate him as if he were nothing more than an insect in your path!"

"Yeah, C-Bomb. Don't you worry, you'll definitely beat him!" Mary hugged her side.

"You already had him on the ropes this time, and I don't think he really appreciated Rule Three! You go, girl." Darci high-fived her.

"Besides, you know the greatest guy to learn all of this stuff from!" Toby elbowed her. Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! grinned behind her. They had a tiny conversation in trollish, both smiling happily. The Krubera encircled the group in his arms, hugging them all to his body. Blinky stood on the other side, smiling at them all as they laughed in AAARRRGGHH!'s arms.

"I do believe that this is the beginnings of a truly immortal legend." Claire thought of Jim, and then silently agreed to herself that it definitely was.


	8. Down a Dangerous Road

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

Strickler was a simple changeling.

Or at least, that's what he liked all the other changelings to see. He was the leader of their order, and there were plenty that would like to take the position from him. By projecting an exterior that was predictable in motives and movements, the others all felt comfortable and wouldn't put much effort into dethroning him, as it were. Despite all of this, he was as far from a simple changeling as one could get.

He had formed attachments in the human world, despite the creed established by their people. His young students were important to him, and none more so than Young Atlas. Jim was by far his favorite person in the world, as if there were many contenders. He was the closest thing that Strickler had to a family, ever since he had met him in the boy's freshman year. As such, his disappearance had disturbed Strickler visibly in public. In the Janus Order, he was as cool and composed as ever.

What especially disturbed him was that he had not heard any news of the boy's case. They had made no progress in finding him, and the changelings had not reported any human criminals, nor had they been the ones to kidnap him. Using this reasoning, he was able to justify his interest in the case as a threat to the Janus Order and none of his underlings would suspect his own personal attachment.

The amulet being lost and no word from the spies in Trollmarket of a new Trollhunter had also been slightly distressing.

Many times, he had spoken to Jim's peers who were also distraught by his disappearance. Young Atlas had lit the world around them in so many ways that were all too apparent now that they were missing. In the week following the event, the school had been quiet and dreary. The student's eyes had all been downcast, and his own human emotions had been filled with grief.

He was spending an inordinate amount of time in troll form around the Order.

However, of all the surprises that he had prepared himself for since losing both his young student and the amulet, he was not prepared for said amulet to be found in Claire's backpack. When he had seen it as she walked out the door the Tuesday following Jim's disappearance, he had simply stood there with a shocked look on his face, attempting to make sense of the situation. Afterwards, he had shook it off, and sent word to the Trollmarket spies. Their confirmation of a human female Trollhunter did nothing but complicate matters further for him.

The conversation with Bular went something like, 'No, you idiot, you can't go and eat her family. People would notice because unlike you, they are not stupid and unobservant.' Of course, Bular took out his anger on his other changelings, and Strickler swore another oath of vengeance on the son of Gunmar. Strickler's goal, above all, was the advancement of changelings in their status. Even above that of the freeing of the Gumm-Gumms.

For now, he continued teaching, formulating plans while trying to disregard the life of Claire in the process. He found it much more difficult than it should have been.

* * *

Jim had learned a lot from Blinky after he returned from Trollmarket. The first was that Draal was apparently a spoiled child who wanted his father's toys. The second was that Trollish was an integral, magical language that all trolls knew because it was a part of the magic that animated them. However, the final was the real kicker.

There was a second Trollmarket, or perhaps more properly the first Trollmarket. It was located in France and was run by Rundle's first son and Vendel's elder brother, Kindrel. They had not had contact beyond sending supplies since they had come to the New World, but Blinky said that he could easily slip in a letter with the next shipment asking for the current political climate of the Old World. Jim had also decided that the original Trollmarket would be the first place that he went after he awoke Angor Rot and got the Inferna Copula.

Blinky was still working on getting the stone that would allow him to walk in Daylight, but that was fine. It wasn't as if he would be going anywhere soon. Currently, it was about six in the morning, and he was only just coming back inside the house. The forest was even more beautiful when it was viewed with rested eyes and a full stomach.

His mother was waiting for him inside, sipping at a mug of coffee. She raised an eyebrow at him. He chuckled nervously. "Sorry, I was just, uh, exploring. I've been cooped up in here for a while."

"Could you have left a note?" His mother's voice sounded unamused. She took another sip of the coffee.

"Yes?" It came out more like a question and Jim cursed himself for his own anxiety. He didn't want to scare off his mother, but at the same time, he was a young man – troll – thing who had killed the strongest troll in the world. He took a breath and tried to be more assertive. "Mom, I can take care of myself." He cringed at how much that made him sound like an edgy teenager.

"I know you can. But I still worry. I'm your mother, and I care about you. Can you please tell me what you're doing next time, so I don't think you're kidnapped again?" She tried to conceal what she was feeling, but it was hard to hide feelings from a half-troll that could hear the tiniest inflections in your voice and heartbeat. Jim's immediately felt guilty about the pain that he could hear in her voice.

"I will, mom. I'm sorry." She got up and he hugged her. Jim noticed that she was in her scrubs and coat. She must've been on her way to work and Jim had made her late. He felt more guilt as he planted a kiss on her forehead, for once having to bend down slightly. "I love you, mom."

She squeezed him. Jim wished again that he could get the armor off. Shoving down the frustration and anger off, Jim forced himself to enjoy the hug, despite not even being able to feel it. His mom kissed his cheek and then left for the hospital.

Trudging up the stairs to his room, Jim mentally prepared himself to see Morgana again.

* * *

She was still in the tower when he entered the dreamscape. That was perfectly fine with him, he had no desire to talk to her.

Conjuring up his own bedroom from memory, sans the door and window, he returned to experimenting in the dreamscape. Right now, he wanted to find out if he could go to sleep here and what would happen if he did. He laid back on his bed, summoning his daggers into his hands. Just in case. After a few moments of listening to his own rhythmic breathing, he heard another heartbeat approach the room he created. Sighing, he prepared himself for another attack from Morgana.

Cracking open an eye, Jim saw her open up a hole just big enough for her and close it behind her. He was slightly confused. She was back in her flamboyant dress, and she had no conceivable way of attacking him. Nonetheless, he tensed his muscles in preparation to launch himself into action.

What he was not expecting was for her to somehow teleport into the bed with him.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He sprang out of the bed and pointed his conjoined daggers at her.

Morgana pouted at him. "I was just looking for some company. It has been so long since I have felt the pleasure of another's embrace." Her smile turned seductive. "Or the other pleasures involved in the embrace."

Jim felt his face heat up and could not be happier for his thick skin. For once, he thanked Merlin for the transformation. "I'm spoken for, thanks. You might remember her as the girl that overpowered you and banished you to the shadow realm."

Morgana's face didn't change as he anticipated. "A girl that does not remember you or share your feelings? Please," she scoffed. "You'd be better off with the fat one." Jim looked away, the truth of her statement hitting him hard. She had her entire life ahead of her, an abomination wouldn't get in the way of that. "But," Jim's eyes shot back at the voice of Claire. "That doesn't truly matter. I was in her head for weeks, I know everything about her. I can give you her, if only you give me something in return." Morgana was no longer in his bed. Now, it was Claire. And the look on her face…

Rage coursed through him. "You dare to use her against me?!" Jim roared. With a thought, his room disappeared, and Morgana in the form of Claire fell to the ground. He did not care for her appearance at the moment, though. Exercising an enormous amount of willpower, he dispelled the illusion over her.

In Claire's place, a disgruntled and armored Morgana sat, rubbing her backside. "You could have just said no," she said, glaring at him. Jim was unable to suppress the rolling growl projecting from his throat. He turned away, trying to get himself back under control with breathing.

A stone wall appeared in his way as he stalked away from her. Snarling, Jim slammed a fist into it, creating a large crater. Cracks formed in a spiderweb around the center of impact. Refusing to give into the frustration, Jim turned back towards her. "What do you want from me?!" He was unable to keep his voice from turning into a roar.

"I want to be freed."

The shock at the straightforwardness of her statement was enough to get his emotions back under control. With a titanic amount of self-restraint, Jim shoved his feelings to the side. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Never."

"Why not?" Morgana rose off the ground, floating just above it. She crossed her arms. "I pose no threat anymore. You took my magic from me, remember?"

"Just because you don't have magic doesn't mean that you don't have power." The changelings worshipped her, after all. If she got in touch with them and proved her identity, she would have control over a large portion of the world. He knew that the changeling network was extensive from what Strickler had told him.

"Yes, but without magic I have no power. Without power, going back to my former allies is a good recipe for being eaten."

"After everything that you've done with them, they'd just abandon you?" He knew what the answer was, but he wanted her thoughts on it.

She looked down. "Everyone does, in the end." The bitterness was clear in her voice. Jim smirked mentally. Her lack of social interaction might make the rest of this easy.

"What makes you so certain?" He crossed his own arms, his gaze like stone on her own.

Morgana's emerald hand began to glow. "Personal experiences."

He wasn't going to give up now. "Like who?"

"Everyone!" Morgana screamed. In an instant, she was in his face. He didn't move. "My father, my brother, my husband, my mentor, my son…" Her voice trailed from its shouting volume to a quiet whisper. With his enhanced hearing, Jim made a note of it all. He could hear the hurt in her voice.

She was floating at eye level with him. Jim leaned forward, making her eyes meet his own. He could see unshed tears in them.

And just like that, the dam broke.

Morgana fell to the ground on her hands and knees, tears covering the ground as she sobbed with an intensity that he had never heard in anyone else. Sighing, he sat on the ground and pulled her to him. Jim felt bad now, knowing that he did this. He was fully prepared for her to shove a dagger into his unprotected eyes or neck. Instead, she wrapped herself around him, burying her face in his shoulder. She even dispelled her helmet to have better access. Surprised, it took Jim a moment to respond, and he started rubbing her back.

Making comforting noises in the back of his throat, Jim did the best to console her. He knew that everyone had a reason for being the way that they were, and he knew that if he could find that reason, he could always propose a better path. It worked with Draal, Gnome Chompsky, NotEnrique, Strickler, Nomura, and even Angor Rot. If there was a chance of creating an ally out of an enemy, he would always take it.

It would still take a while before she could truly be trusted, but he knew that this was the beginning of a redemption.

The world turned a blinding white as he comforted the sobbing form of one of his greatest enemies in his arms.

* * *

Opening his eyes, Jim was met with the sight of his ceiling.

It seemed… odd, somehow, to be here. Jim felt exhausted. Not physically, but mentally. It was becoming a bit much for him to deal with. He curled into his bed, not wanting to get up and face the world right now.

Then the memories of what Morgana did in his bed came back to him, and he fell out of it in his rush to get up.

His face burning at a particular memory of her illusions, Jim quickly left his room, closing the door behind him. That needed to stay far away from any form of conscious thought, especially in his current state. His emotions were going wild, an odd hunger mixed with a nearly overwhelming arousal. Slamming his head into the nearest wall, Jim cursed his troll and human emotions equally. This is not what he wanted.

"Jim?" The half-troll spun around and saw both Claire and Toby in his living room. They looked to be doing homework on his couch. Meeting Claire's eyes, the burning he felt increased in intensity and he covered his face. She spoke again, and he could hear her getting off the couch. "Jim, are you okay?"

"Yep, perfectly fine!" His voice came out normally, which he thanked any god watching for. A high-pitched whine started in his throat, startling him. Frowning, he tried clearing his throat, but that didn't stop it. Toby got up off the couch too.

"You sure about that, Jimbo? You're acting a little weird."

He felt Claire touch his arm. Jim distinctly refused to look into her eyes. The images in his head felt distinctly _wrong_ , as if he had peeked at something that he definitely shouldn't have. It was making his moral side sick, but another part of him, something savage, wanted to disregard it all and sate its carnal appetite.

As had become his custom since becoming this two-sided beast, he ignored the savage for the familiar moral side.

Finally banishing the thoughts, he shook his head, and plastered on a smile that he was sure would pass as good enough. He looked up at them. "You know, just another conversation with Morgana."

They nodded, making _oh_ sounds. It was the truth, just not all of it. Still, he had more pressing questions to attend to. "What are you guys doing in my living room?"

Toby, sitting back on the couch, held up his binder. It had some of Strickler's history homework on it. "We've decided to start doing our homework here."

Jim tilted his head. "And this doesn't look strange to your families?"

"Nana thinks its my way of grieving. I hate having to lie to her, but I don't want her getting involved in any of this."

"My mom thinks it's great that I'm caring for a woman who just lost her child. It makes her seem so much nicer, which furthers her campaign." Claire seemed vaguely frustrating saying this. She crossed the room, plopping back onto her seat and taking her homework back out. "Plus, three heads are better than one. And haven't you already done this homework?"

Jim nodded. "I can't promise that I remember all of it, but yeah, I've done it. Do you guys need help?"

"Yeah, I need help with the Strickler's maps. Where the hell is Athens? What on God's good Earth is Crete?"

"You guys just get through the Peloponnesian Wars?"

Claire groaned. "Yeah. I don't even understand how this will be applicable in any way at any point in time in my future. I don't even know how school will apply to my future at this point. Isn't the Trollhunter gig for life?"

Jim settled on the couch between the two of them. "Yeah. On the bright side, you have a stable job with creatures that don't place any value on gems like diamonds. If you ask for diamonds at any point, they'll hand you heaps of them."

"Really?" Toby and Claire both seemed surprised.

"Well, the only things valuable to trolls are things that are practical. Aesthetics come afterwards, and human devices are exotic. Diamonds, however, have no magical potential, nor are they considered aesthetically pleasing to the trolls. To trolls, they're just another shiny rock."

Claire leaned back. "Huh." She considered it for a bit before looking back up. "So, money isn't a problem either?"

"Not really. But cashing in a ton of diamonds at once is bound to attract attention."

"Why the hell am I still in school then?!" She threw her hands up. "I don't want to deal with this if I don't have to."

Jim felt bitterness rise within him. "Because you're still human," he half-growled. "You get to be human." Not for the first time, Jim realized his loneliness. He couldn't be a human and he couldn't be a troll. Since he had become this _thing_ , he was always focused on it. Every little thing reminded him that he wasn't Jim anymore, and that he had to constantly fight to control himself. He had only been a half-troll for a week, and it had already consumed him completely.

Claire and Toby exchanged glances. They knew that she had messed up, and now they had to fix it. Claire sighed and scooted over to Jim. "Jim, you know that we don't care about what you are. We're your friends." She tucked hair behind her ear. "We care about you. A lot."

"I had a life," he whispered. "I _existed_. I had friends. A future." He growled. "It's all gone!" His voice turned into a yell. He tried to get up off the couch, but Claire and Toby pinned him down. If he really wanted to get up, they would be able to stop him, but Jim let them hold him down, albeit with a snarl.

"Listen, Jim, you've been mopey lately, and with good reason, but you still have friends!" Toby was hugging his side as much as he could, Claire draped across the other. "You haven't changed!"

"I HAVE!" Both of them winced and covered their ears at his roar. Jim realized that it was hurting them, and someone else might hear them. "I have," Jim repeated. "I have these instincts. I don't feel the same way I used to. I'm always so angry. I love you guys," Claire slightly stiffened, and he didn't know how to take it. "But right now, everything in me is screaming at me to lash out at you, to tell you to _fuck off_ , and it's hard to hold it back." Each of his words had a growl beneath them, but he was able to cut it off now that he was done talking. They let go of him, and Jim got up. "I'll be in the kitchen."

Jim hadn't mean to be that rude, but it might've made his point even more apparent. He wasn't the same any more. Even so, it wasn't okay to be a jerk like he just was, so he was going to cook them something and apologize with it. Until he heard Claire walk up to the doorway to the kitchen.

He had taken to closing the divider to the kitchen while he was in there, because there was a strong chance that he would be eating something that made the humans in his house sick. More importantly, Jim was acutely aware that Toby was not there to back him up right now if he said something incredibly stupid to her. It was getting harder and harder to keep the whole 'you used to/were going to be my girlfriend' a secret when some of his instincts had to do with her in particular.

"Hey," he said, getting the ingredients out of the fridge.

"Hey," she replied, leaning on the counter.

Taking his chances, Jim turned to her. "I'm sorry about the whole outburst, but it's true. I'm not Jim anymore. Chances are I would hurt someone rather than help them nowadays," referencing their conversation from yesterday.

She sighed. "I think you missed the entire point of that talk."

"I did?" Jim cocked his head to the side.

"What did you think it was about?"

"Uh… I thought the point of it was to comfort me and tell me that people look up to me?"

Claire sighed aggressively, if that was possible. Pinching the bridge of her nose, she muttered, "I can't believe that you're that oblivious."

Taken aback, Jim blinked at her. "What was I oblivious about?"

"I was confessing to you, you butt!" Claire suddenly exploded. "I was telling you that I had just as big of a crush on you that you did on me!"

"Oh." Jim blinked again. He tried to process that. "You did?"

"Yes! Is that so hard to believe?"

Jim thought back to all of his interactions with Claire from before she knew about trolls. He recalled a lot of hair tucks, her constantly getting closer to him when they talked, and a kiss on the cheek that no one else would have gotten if they offered to babysit. "Now that I think about it…" He focused on her. "Wait, you still feel like that?"

" _Ay dios mio, eres un idiota."_

"Hey," he said, mildly affronted.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you! You are the densest person I have ever met."

Jim was absolutely floored. He had no idea how to react at all to this, and the ingredients were laying on the table forgotten. "I'm a tark," he said, disbelief clear in his voice.

"I don't know what that means, and I don't care. You're literally everything that I've ever wanted in a boyfriend. You're smart, driven, you care about everyone else, and you're literally a hero. Plus, the body doesn't hurt at all." Claire was smirking at him, clearly taking pleasure in his inability to form a coherent thought.

"But… I'm not even human. I just told you that I have to restrain myself from lashing out at you."

Claire walked up and hugged him. "That just means that you need something to hold on to."

For the first time since he had come back, everything felt like it clicked in Jim's mind. He was here, with his love and his best friend. Gunmar was locked in the Darklands, he couldn't hurt anyone. Morgana was no threat anymore. Merlin was as far away as he could possibly be. A sense of calm came over him, the ever-present undercurrent of rage in his mind muted. He was at peace, and he hugged Claire back.

A red glow forced them to part. Curiously, Jim looked down at his chest. The amulet was glowing fiercely, and suddenly the rest of his armor was too. And then it wasn't. Because there was nothing to glow.

The armor was gone.

Jim stood, gaping at his exposed body, covered only in the tattered rags of his signature jeans and blue sweater. Hesitantly, he lifted his hands to himself, feeling his skin. Elation filled him when his skin responded, and he could actually feel the pressure. He started laughing, pumping his fist in the air, screaming "YES! TAKE THAT, YOU WRINKLY DICK!" Claire laughed beside him, and he scooped her, laughing with her as he swung her around the room. Feeling her against his chest, Jim was filled with glee.

Toby barged in. "What the hell is go-" Not neglecting his oldest and best friend, Jim wrapped an arm around Toby, spinning them both around in joy. Toby couldn't help but start laughing with his friend, despite not knowing what was going on. He realized it before long though, when metal didn't start jabbing into him. "Jimbo! You got the armor off!" Jim calmed down a little, putting both him and Claire back on the ground. The grin stayed on his face, though. Fascinated, Toby poked his shoulder and felt his muscles. "Dude, you're ripped! You've got a six pack!" He grabbed his bicep. "It's kinda squishy, though."

Jim rolled his eyes and flexed his arm. Toby's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when his felt the muscles go rock hard under him. He motioned Claire over, and she had no qualms about also feeling his muscles. A delighted grin crossed over her face, and Jim let his muscles go slack. It was with no small amount of satisfaction that he noted that his skin still gave and moved under her hands, and he was able to feel perfectly fine. All of the wonder lasted until Toby poked his chest, which produced a distinctive _clink_.

"Uh, Jim, you might want to check the amulet." It was fairly obvious what Toby was talking about when he looked down.

The amulet was embedded in his left pectoral, right above where his heart would be. The bottom was facing outward, four of the gem slots faintly glowing. Reaching out, Jim turned out the lights to watch the amulet. Claire and Toby huddled in front of him, watching it with him.

The amulet appeared to pulse in time with what looked to be a heartbeat, but Jim couldn't feel one when he pressed two of his fingers into his neck. Frowning, he realized that the amulet pulsed in time with his own heartbeat. With Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!, he had noticed that trolls didn't have a heartbeat either. Jim was happy with having such an integral part of humanity and turned the lights back on. Focusing on the rest of his body, Jim was hit with embarrassment when he realized that he was practically undressed.

"Uh, if you guys don't mind, I'm gonna go get dressed." Jim quickly sprinted up the stairs, withdrawing to the sanctuary of his room. Laughter followed him, burning his cheeks beneath his skin. Jim closed the door behind him, and then pumped his fist in the air again, cheering for his victory. Now came the awkward part, though.

After affirming that he was indeed a human on his lower half, Jim realized that none of his clothes fit him anymore. Shrugging, he decided to just put on some very stretchy sweatpants. It wasn't as if anyone other than his friends would see him, and he had a sufficient body to go bare-chested. Voices floated up to him as he opened the door again, arguing vehemently.

"His biceps!" That was Claire. Blood crept into his face again when he realized what she was talking about.

"Thicc thighs save lives!" Sighing, he smacked his face. He had no idea why Toby was arguing with Claire as to what his newest most attractive quality was.

"His thighs aren't that thick!"

"Thicker than yours!" A whack came from their area and Jim decided that he should probably intervene.

Walking down the stairs two at a time, he was greeted with the sight of Claire standing over a fallen Toby with a binder in her hands. "You take that back!" she said, but her offended tone was overridden by the grin that she was trying to keep from forming.

"What's this all about?" They both turned to him, and Claire's face turned an interesting shade. Toby noticed and pointed at her as he laughed. Glaring, Claire whopped him on the head again with her binder.

"Man down, Jimbo! Help!" Toby raised an arm weakly, making Jim chuckle. Claire was frozen again, staring directly at his stomach. He cleared his throat.

"My eyes are up here." He smirked, extraordinarily pleased that she didn't see him as repulsive. She flicked her eyes up to meet his, her blush intensifying before she covered her face with her binder and fell back on the couch. She grumbled something to herself in Spanish that even his troll ears couldn't decipher. Crossing the room, he picked Toby up one-handed and set him on his feet.

Toby looked up at him in wonder, then shook his head and sat back on the couch. He picked up his homework, saying, "The swolest troll ever." Claire peeked out from behind her binder, a little less red than before.

The smell of ingredients that had been left out for several minutes enter Jim's nostrils. Entering the kitchen, Jim decided that he was going to make a meal that would make Gordon Ramsey proud to celebrate. Later, he would go find Bular and dance with him, too. Pulling out a knife, Jim started to chop up the carrots that he had gotten out and started answering questions that Toby threw at him.

After several minutes of amiable conversation and answering Toby's homework questions, his partner remembered something. "Oh yeah, Jimbo, what kind of a troll were you merged with? Blinky said he figured it out, but I think he forgot to tell us."

Claire interjected here. "A carved Grecian statue." They all had a good laugh over that, Jim marveling at the definition of his muscles.

"Jotun. Apparently, the frost giants are actually trolls. But he's not entirely sure. Something about how no one's ever really had contact with them besides another race, the Hold-a-folk or something, that was sworn in their service, but they sided with Gunmar during that whole fiasco." He didn't hear anything else from them but shrugged it off and put what would soon be the finished feast in the oven.

The rest of the afternoon until his mother got back was filled with friendly banter and an excessive amount of feasting, though no one complained about either. When his mother joined them, she was surprised to see an armorless, topless Jim laughing with his friends in front of the TV, Toby in the crook of one arm and Claire clinging to his chest, enveloped in the other. Once she was over it, though, she smiled and pulled Jim's meal out of the oven when it was done.

They were all eating dinner when Toby remembered something, excitedly mumbling through food.

"Don't talk with food in your mouth, Toby," admonished Barbara. Toby held up a finger, chewed for a moment, and then swallowed.

"Do you think that you could come to Trollmarket now that the armor won't be on full display.

Jim shrugged. "Maybe, if Blinky can smuggle me in."

"That would be so cool, having you there with us. I think that you could pass as a smaller troll, but you'd have to conceal your strength.

"Blinky could probably introduce you as a friend of his to Darci and Mary, and then tell Vendel that he met you on the surface or something, and that you're just visiting Trollmarket." Jim thoughtfully took a bite out of his raw pork, accidentally biting some of the spoon off with it. Frowning at his ruined utensil, he nodded.

"That could work."

His mom swallowed her current mouthful of food. "If Trollmarket is so dangerous, then why do you want to go there so badly?"

"I'm getting really restless up here. Going to the forest every night makes it slightly better, but I would like to have some interaction. Besides, we wouldn't do it tonight anyways. I'm going to be training Claire," _and avoiding a rogue gnome_ , he added to himself. He was intrigued at the idea of being able to interact with Mary and Darci and potentially joining the team. It would be very difficult to not automatically don the armor every time they got into trouble, and he would have to use a new weapon, but it would be worth it to him.

"Speaking of which, when do you want to start?" asked Claire. She had finished her food, as had Toby. Both looked very excited. Jim grinned. Knowing that his friends liked him enough to spend this much time with him was somehow relieving, despite him knowing how much they cared about him.

Well, relatively. He wasn't exactly sure how much Claire liked him, or what they were at this point. Was that whole thing earlier supposed to be indicative of her being open to be his girlfriend? He'd have to ask later. Preferably after the training, he didn't want to work up any ill feelings before and make it awkward.

Jim finished his own food, as did his mother. He took everyone's plates before telling them, "As soon as I get these put up." They cheered, running to pack up their stuff as he took the dishes to the sink and rinsed them off. He smirked as they entered the kitchen, waiting restlessly for him to finish. Once he was finally done, Toby huffed at him. "I didn't know you were part sloth, too, Jimbo."

"It's way too much fun working you up, Tobes. You know that." Toby's glare made him grin.

He opened the backdoor for them, and they ran outside. Jim took a moment to appreciate the feeling of the air on his skin. Claire asked where they were going to train tonight.

"I was thinking by the lake. That same clearing as last time. I really like the moon, even if it doesn't have the best memories." Smiling, he started off in the direction of the lake, cutting directly through the forest behind his house. The oranges, reds and yellows streaking across the sky were beautiful, and Jim only wished that he could be jumping through the trees feeling the air against his new skin instead of simply walking. It wasn't too much of a loss, he got to talk with his best friend and love interest, even if he wasn't sure what to make of the latter right now.

As they walked, Toby and Claire asked him questions about the coolest magical creatures that he had fought. Tilting his head to the side, Jim considered for a bit before he answered. "So far, the coolest would probably be the Nyarlagoth." Toby gasped, while Claire looked confused. He explained further. "It's this massive eel-worm-snake thing in the Darklands. They have very nutritious but disgusting eggs."

Toby gasped. "You never told me that you ate their eggs!"

The half-troll shrugged. "Had to eat something. To their credit, they are very defensive of their eggs."

Another question occurred to his best friend. "What did you drink in the Darklands? Was there some body of water or what?"

Remembering the event, it sparked mixed feelings in him. He felt an odd satisfaction and pride from the kill, but also a healthy amount of disgust. "Nyarlagoths have more watery blood than most things."

They both turned green. "Jesus Christ," breathed Toby. "You drank magic eel blood?"

"What else was I gonna do? I was pretty desperate at that point, I had gone most of a day without water, and in the Darklands you need as much energy as possible. Trolls don't bleed, and I was fully willing to try a goblin if I found one."

Shaking her head, Claire said, "You're like the Bear Grylls of the troll world, except way more morbid." They all shared a laugh, effectively dispelling the disgust.

"So, what am I going to be learning today?" asked Claire. Jim marveled at the brightness of her eyes when she looked at him.

"Today, we'll actually be dueling. Blinky brought glow stones to light the area up. Oh, don't give me that look. You're just going to be getting the feel for how to hit something without it jarring your forearms. And you're going to practice your stances."

Claire breathed a little easier and placed a hand over her heart, amusing Jim. It couldn't be that terrifying to fight him, could it?

Without even glancing to them, Toby answered the unspoken thought. "Jimbo, I love you man, but the whole AAARRRGGHH! thing taught us a lesson. _Don't piss off the Jimbo._ " Shaking his head, Jim didn't bother responding to Toby. They were almost at the clearing they were at last time, and Jim was focused on the broken trees. "What's with all the trees?"

"Well, when a two-ton rock goes flying, something's bound to get smashed." Toby's sarcasm was clear in the way he gestured at the trees. The half-troll sighed, massaging his temples.

Claire put a hand on his arm, her eyes full of concern. Jim gave her a weak smile, but she gave him a full one back and squeezed his arm teasingly before walking into the clearing. All he got when he looked to Toby was a wink before they also entered.

Toby made his way to where Claire set down her backpack and put down his own next to it. Claire was getting ready to don her armor and began the incantation. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" Her voice rang over the clearing as magic lifted her into the air, forming steel from light over her body. She landed with a fist on the ground, before getting up and grinning at Jim.

Smirking, Jim said nothing. The armor flowed from the amulet over his body, responding to his will. It closed over his hand, wrist and feet, and then glowed with an ethereal power.

Toby gave an impressed whistle. "Changing it up a bit, eh Jimbo?"

Eclipse appeared in his outstretched hand, and he lifted the tip to point at her, seemingly relaxed with his left hand hanging by his side. Claire responded in kind, summoning Daylight and leaning it across her left forearm, pointed towards him. Jim cleared his throat. "Like I said, I'm not expecting you to be able to beat me, what I'm planning on here is to show you how to maximize the force behind your strikes while minimizing the shockwaves through your arms. Swing at me the best as you can, and don't worry about me. Got it?"

Claire nodded. "Got it."

They were absolutely still for several moments. The only sounds were the background of the forest and the sound of their breaths. Jim saw Claire rock forward just a tiny bit before launching at him across the clearing.

Twisting his sword in a circle, he successfully deflected Claire's sword arm to the side, and her eyes widened before her body collided into him. Her weight wasn't enough to make him twitch. However, the amulets glowed curiously as their swords collided. "Remember, everything that you fight is larger and stronger than you. Your body weight won't do much without something sharp in front of it." She backed off, circling around him. Jim followed her path with his eyes, only turning his body if he had to. "When you do try again, don't try to keep the sword from moving when it gets deflected. Redirect its movement or spin with it if it's fast enough."

Claire took a step forward, swinging Daylight with both arms. Jim placed his sword diagonally in front of him, feeling a minimal amount of force as he deflected it into an upward arc. Her face clenched before she kicked upward. Letting a grin cross his face, Jim caught her leg with his free hand before pulling up slightly, forcing her to overbalance and fall back. "Very good, compensating with the kick. Most trolls wouldn't expect that; they'd still be focused on the sword." Claire shook her head as she got up before she glared at him and charged.

Her sword clanged against his continually as she pushed him back, the amulets growing brighter and brighter. Jim did his best to ignore the amulets and act as if he was a normal troll and not a super-powered half-troll. "Strike where it's easy to pull back. You can't let them get a hit on you." To demonstrate, he lashed out with his left hand between her strikes. She was launched a few feet backwards, an undignified 'oof' leaving her as her body impacted the ground again. The amulets dimmed slightly.

"That's not fair," she panted as she got up. "You're faster than Draal was."

Jim blinked. "I am?" That was news to him. Then again, he never got the chance to compare after he was transformed. He grinned at her. "That just means that you'll be used to fighting something even faster than your enemies." Jim could hear her mutter something under her breath, but he chose not to comment, simply preparing for another assault.

Claire crouched low, bring Daylight over her shoulders. Her armor glowed, and their amulets were nearly bright enough to be their own suns. She launched with a war cry off the ground in an arc that would take her over his head. Jim cocked his head as she reached the apex directly over him, lazily raising Eclipse over his head to block her overhead slash with Daylight. He was not prepared for what happened next.

A shockwave of light radiated out from them, blinding both combatants and blasting Jim to the ground. Claire landed on Jim's chest, knocking the air out of him. The amulet felt as if it was burning his chest, adding to the feeling beneath it, like someone was grabbing his heart and warping it. Claire cried out on top of him, curling up. Jim wanted to help but it felt like he couldn't move, and something entered his mind and for a brief second, he was looking down at his face, curled up on someone's chest before he was himself again, something being woven into his very _soul_ and it was over.

Breathing hard, Jim tried to process what just happened. He sat up, holding Claire to his chest, still curled up. He almost smiled at how small she seemed in his arms, but there were more important things at the moment. Like making sure she was okay.

In the background, Toby was rushing to him, and Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! had just arrived. It didn't matter. Right now, he was more concerned as to why his and Claire's hearts were beating with the same pulse and why he could feel her exhaustion.

"Claire?" Jim whispered to her. He motioned for everyone else to stay back with a jerk of his head.

"Jim? Is that… you?" So, she felt it too. Unsurprising.

"Yeah. I can feel you too." He wasn't really sure how to proceed. Despite everything he had gone through, he had never been bonded to someone's soul. His mother, though…

Panic rose within him as soon as he realized what this might mean for them. "Claire, sorry about this, but it's necessary."

"What are you-" he cut her off as he placed her gently on the ground, summoned a dagger and sliced it across his palm. "Jim! What the hell are you doing!?" She grabbed his now bleeding hand, and he realized two things. Claire had not felt any pain an getting cut with Eclipse hurt like a bitch. He felt like he had just poured liquid fire into his own hand, but it was easy to ignore it after the whole transformation deal. As she fretted over his had and yelled at him for being an idiot, he turned to his troll friends and Toby who were gaping at him. His eyes clearly said help.

"Master Jim, what on earth were you thinking?! What would force you to take such drastic measures as this?!" Blinky brought the wrong kind of help, as the rest of Jim's Trollhunter team rushed over to him, yelling at him too. Their voices all overlapped as they became a wordless cacophony in his head. He felt rage and terror rise within him instinctually before they stopped.

"Shut up! You're scaring him!" Claire yelled at them. Jim was covering his ears as best he could, but he could still hear everything. Claire's armor turned into smoke and her amulet fell into her hand before she continued. "I just realized why it scared him. He thought that this might be the same as that time that Strickler bound himself to Jim's mom."

"Ah. And is it similar? Do you have the same injury on you hand?"

"No." Claire raised her hand out, palm up. There was nothing there but unblemished skin. "I did feel an uncomfortable pressure and heat for a bit though."

"Ah." Blinky looked nervous. A silence took over the moonlit clearing before he spoke up again, clacking his fingers together. "Can you, um feel each other's emotions, by any chance?"

Jim looked up at him. "Yeah," he said. He had mostly calmed down and was surprised that Blinky seemed to know what this was. "What happened to us?"

Blinky muttered something to AAARRRGGHH! in trollish, which Jim heard thanks to his enhanced ears. "What's a soul bond?"

Blinky started coughing harshly, focusing anywhere but them. Jim cocked his head to the side, realizing instinctually that his surrogate father was embarrassed. So, he looked to his troll brother instead. AAARRRGGHH! shrugged. "Troll marriage."

Jim choked on his own spit. Claire turned completely red and found the ground very interesting. Toby, on the other hand, looked between the two before bursting into boisterous laughter. The laughter made the other two (part) humans focus their ire on him, the annoyance in each of them complimenting and multiplying that felt by the other. It quickly morphed into anger, and Jim stopped and forcibly forced calm over himself. He caught Claire looking at him from his side, gratefulness welling up in their bond.

Blinky shook his head. "This… this is something that I could never predict happening. I don't even know where to start. Do you two even know what a soul bond is?" Jim and Claire looked to each other, feeling the other's apprehension. They shook their heads in tandem. Blinky clapped his hands together. "Then that is where we can begin. Come, this will not involve any form of physical exercise. At present, the most important thing is getting you two accustomed to what you now share."

Jim, Claire, and Toby obediently sat in front of Blinky. AAARRRGGHH! came behind them, sitting down with a large _thud_. Blinky smiled fondly at them, watching Jim's armor recede into the amulet with interest before he began. "A soul bond is, as the name suggests, a bond between two souls. It is the most binding bond possible, as once it is formed, it can only be split by removing the areas of the soul that are entwined, which causes irrevocable damage to the owners of the souls. It is, thusly, our ritual of matrimony. As such a long-lived species, something so truly binding and lasting is what gives substance to our unity. The characteristics, though, are what make it special. Those bonded can usually feel each other's emotions, and if the bond is strong enough, share ideas and sometimes thoughts, though that is extremely rare and requires very closely bonded souls."

Claire raised her hand. Blinky looked at her curiously before his eyes flicked over to Jim. The half-troll, on his part, just sighed. "She wants to ask a question."

"Ask away, then Lady Claire."

Claire put her hand down. "How much emotion do you feel from your partner?"

"Usually only a small amount, enough to pick up on small things. The stronger the bond, the more powerful the influence. If one is truly distraught, the other will know that they are sad, for most soul bonds. Some trolls, usually those able to share ideas, can truly feel the other's exact emotions."

Jim and Claire turned to stare at each other. To test his theory, Jim focused on the idea of her, trying his best to send a picture of herself to her. Claire's eyes widened, and surprise bloomed across their bond. A moment later, he got an image of himself looking at her curiously. It would appear that they had the stronger bond.

"I think we have a very strong bond," said Claire, still looking at Jim. "We can share ideas, and I can definitely feel his emotions."

Blinky nodded. "I assumed you would, as your bond most likely came from the amulets. From what I have observed, you are similar but very different." Jim blinked at him. "You have the same core values, but different – complementary – methods and behaviors. That is a recipe for a very strong bond."

Jim stood up. He could feel how tired Claire was, and while he knew that it was necessary he didn't like it. "We're obviously not going to get anything else done tonight. Blinky, why don't you bring me a book on soul bonds later tonight and Claire can get some much-needed sleep? I taught her a lot earlier, so it's been a productive night." Jim helped Claire up, feeling her gratefulness. Toby, who had been laughing at them throughout the explanation, yawned before getting up with them.

"Yeah, I don't know about Claire, but I'm ready to slip into something more comfortable. Like a coma." Toby grinned at Jim, and the amusement that they felt made Claire laugh. Jim shook his head at the way that her body shook, noticing that she leaned on him slightly.

In a lightning quick move, he hooked an arm under her knees and the other under her shoulders and lifted her up. Claire gave a surprised cry before glaring up at him. "Put me down! I can walk myself!" Her emotions betrayed her; a healthy dose of amusement and affection coursed through him. Jim grinned to himself when he felt the affection, purposely pushing some of his own across the bond.

"But why would you if you don't have to?" Toby asked. "Hey Jimbo, you got room for another?"

Laughing, Jim knelt on the ground. Toby climbed up his back, sitting on his shoulders and using his horns as handles to keep himself on. Standing up, Jim made sure that his friends were secure before bidding goodbye to the troll part of the Trollhunter team. "See you later, guys!" Blinky was grinning while watching them, and AAARRRGGHH! waved merrily, getting to his feet and knuckles before they left the clearing.

The half-troll let loose a feral grin, not missing the way Claire suddenly looked at him warily. "You guys might want to hold on."

The half-troll let Toby adjust his grip and got Claire to a more secure position in his arms. He gave no warning before he launched in a dead sprint, Toby screaming on top of his head and Claire shutting her eyes and burrowing her face against his chest. Cackling madly, Jim increased his speed as he ran back to their houses.


	9. Complications

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

 **Don't worry, this story will not be abandoned, it's simply that I do have a life and this is more of a hobby.**

* * *

"You're bound to that girl now."

Jim shifted his weight from foot to foot, his armor creaking with him. Just because he could take it off did not mean that it was leaving him anywhere near Morgana. "I'm aware of that. What I don't know is why."

Morgana floated over to him. He tensed, instinctively preparing to fight, despite knowing that she wouldn't attack him anymore. This time, Morgana had once again opted for a fanciful dress, but this time had jewels woven throughout her hair. She tapped his amulet. "Merlin always had a plan. They always manage to go at least mostly his way, even if he loses a bit." She looked away from the amulet, crossing her arms. The emerald forearm rested on top of her right forearm. "He never intended to stop at one amulet."

The implications of her statement weren't lost on Jim. "He didn't mean to seal you away."

Morgana looked into his eyes, wrinkling her nose disdainfully. "Of course not. Merlin was always one for efficiency and permanent solutions. Having the most elite warriors with the greatest magical equipment in the world being connected by the fabric of their very being is quite efficient and leads to many permanent solutions."

The gears ticked in Jim's mind. If Merlin had managed to get Morgana's entire body, he could have created enough amulets for a squadron of Trollhunters. If they could all communicate without even speaking… "They would be unstoppable."

She nodded. "Of course, I refused to go without a fight, no matter his prattling about how it was for the 'greater good.' The magic entrapment was an accident, which he attempted to get you to rectify. Of course, that led to this predicament." She spread her arms, gesturing to the dreamscape.

"That still doesn't explain how I took your magic."

"You probably didn't. I know you have the eye of Angor Rot in that amulet, and his magic is nothing more than an extension of my power. It likely attempted to nullify my magic, but the concoction of magic already in the atmosphere, the other stones in the amulet, and the power of the spell I launched at you most likely mixed to create this outcome. I have lost my magic to overuse and exhaustion of its reserves."

Nodding, Jim asked the most prominent things on his mind. "Why aren't there younger versions of us? And why are we connected?"

Morgana floated away, a thoughtful expression on her face. Her long hair floated in front of her and she began to stroke it absently. "I can't be certain since time magic is only supposed to affect inanimate objects, but I don't believe that two of the same soul can exist. Since I have the same body that I had before travelling back in time, my soul was able to occupy it, essentially overwriting my younger soul. Your soul, on the other hand, most likely could not fit in your body. To compensate, your body changed to accommodate it."

Jim cocked his head. "Is that why I woke up on the cliff outside of town?"

"Yes. I noticed a convergence of ley lines somewhere near the town, which is probably where you woke up. The position held enough energy for your body to change itself." She floated back over to him. "You didn't need a concoction again because your soul already held the pattern for changing. Be glad that you were not aware during the changing of your body; it was probably as painful as the first time."

The half-troll winced. "How do you know how painful it is?"

"I created the method for changing creatures. Most would die of shock." She shook her head. "It's difficult to survive your atoms being pulled apart and put back together."

Jim's hands firmly clenched around his ears. "I am not going to talk about this."

Morgana made an 'ah' sound. "Right, I hadn't taken the mental trauma into account. Apologies." She floated above him, putting her hands behind her head and reclining. Suddenly, they were in an old room that Jim would expect to see in a castle, a roaring fire in a stone hearth with the walls covered in tapestries and bookshelves. Jim looked up at Morgana, tilting his head in a silent question. Surveying the room, Morgana answered it. "This was my old room when I was apprenticing under Merlin. You asked why we were connected. Again, I suspect it is because of the amulet." There was a trace of nostalgia as she talked about the room.

Carefully, Jim let the armor recede from his body. The amulet remained, prominently embedded in his left pectoral. "It's because it's a part of me now, isn't it?"

She smiled at him. A genuine smile, he noted. "Clever. You are correct, of course. Trolls have a shard of Heartstone embedded in them instead of hearts, which is what allows them to remain animated and siphon off energy from larger Heartstones, like the one in Trollmarket. The amulet is your heartstone; your second heart. It was made by this." She held up her emerald arm. "I have quite literally become a part of you. One may even say that I am the closest to your heart." Her smile became softer, and Jim tentatively smiled back. It was surprisingly easy to talk to her.

Before Jim could respond, the world turned white.

* * *

"Dammit!" Jim sat up in his bed, livid. He was making progress with Morgana! Why did he have to wake up?

Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, Jim growled to himself. His amulet pulsed with his heartbeat, brighter with anger. As he was working himself up more, he felt an odd sense of calm, before recognizing it as Claire. His phone pinged on his bedside table. Picking it up, he read the text. 'Are you okay?' It was from Claire. Another text came in. 'I almost just stabbed Steve with a pencil for hitting on me.'

He snorted before letting Claire's influence calm him. The image of Claire beating up Steve helped, providing a source of great amusement. He would pay money to see that.

'Sorry,' he texted back. 'Just woke up.'

'Waking up makes you that angry?'

'Most things do.' His phone went silent for a bit, allowing him to stretch. Yawning, Jim decided to get something to eat. Anxiety tinged his bond, and he gently pushed a sense of confidence across it as he trudged downstairs to his kitchen. Claire texted him again while he was rummaging through the fridge.

'I want to talk to you about that, but I want to do it face to face.' That explained the anxiety.

'Anytime is good for me.' He felt a general sense of confusion across the bond. 'What's wrong?'

'We're at the museum today. Met Nomura. She and Strickler are nowhere to be found.' So today was goblin day. This would be a particularly difficult day, since if they played their cards right, they could get Killahead bridge early. However, they would need to get past Nomura and the goblins. Without him.

'Get Toby to delete the goblin that Eli is showing everyone.' Another few minutes passed, allowing him to scarf down an entire raw steak before Claire replied.

'The goblin thing is tonight?' Excitement raced across their bond. It still felt odd, being connected to someone so intimately. Jim pushed amusement across, feeling a faint sense of sheepishness from her.

'Yep. Have fun.' With a bit of a start, he realized that this would be her first 'call,' not the gnome like him. He'd follow them from the shadows, of course, but they probably wouldn't need any help against goblins.

More importantly, they would need to make plans for tomorrow night so that they could get into the museum and get a picture of the Killahead Bridge without it being blurry and unbelievable like last time. Plus, he was going to go to Trollmarket tonight, after the whole goblin ordeal.

Shrugging to himself, he went and got some raw meat out of the fridge and dug in.

* * *

Claire sighed and put her phone in her back pocket. Since last night, she had been feeling as if she was filled past capacity. The whole soul bond thing took some getting used to, and she hadn't had nearly enough time yet. She leaned on the railings of the museum's second floor, gazing at the mural on the wall.

The surge of anger had scared her, especially with the way that it influenced her. The need to hurt something, specifically Steve, had been so overwhelming that it was a wonder that he wasn't dead. What was worse was that it hadn't even left. The rage had simply simmered down and was now a smoldering feeling in her gut. It had been ever since her soul had been bonded to Jim's.

She needed to talk to him about it, because she might actually snap soon. And she had only been dealing with it for a day.

Toby walked up behind her, Mary and Darci trailing behind him. He tapped her on the shoulder, making sure he had her attention before talking. "Claire, we have a huge problem."

"What is it?" She asked for the sake of keeping up appearances.

Mary spoke up. "Some weird green spidery thing flattened in front of Eli's house. Toby managed to delete the picture, so at least we've managed damage control. You want to call the trolls?"

Claire nodded. "After we get back. I'd like to actually have a normal day for a bit. I get the feeling that it won't happen often." Toby wandered off, saying something about examining the geological part of the museum.

Steve started making his way over to her. Claire rolled her eyes. "Not this guy again." Annoyance welled up in her, and she felt a poke of curiosity from the bond. Sending back a bit of calm, she motioned Darci and Mary over. "I don't want to talk to Steve right now."

"Who does? He's, like, the obligatory bully that every school has, and he doesn't even realize it," Mary scoffed, flipping her hair over her shoulder. She pulled out her phone and started texting on it, and a couple other girls came over and surrounded them. Steve stopped walking, glaring at the girls, before muttering something to himself and storming off in another direction. Claire sent Mary a grateful smile, knowing that she called them over.

Darci grabbed one of her shoulders. "Mary and I are coming to your house after school, because we need to get to the bottom of something. You don't mind, do you?"

Annoyance flared within her again before Jim soothed it from across the bond. His constant anger was making her more irritable, but at least he could still calm her down. "I kind of have something I need to do after school."

"Like mope around in Jim's house the way you have been for the past week? Uh-uh. That's what we need to talk about, and you're not getting away this time," said Darci. Mary nodded at her from the other side, and Claire was now cursing her silently. She also trapped her in by getting the other girls to surround them. Claire shrugged Darci's hand off her shoulder.

"Seriously guys, I'm fine. And besides, who else is going to make sure Toby does his homework?" Claire rolled her eyes. She loved her friends, but it would be great right now if they could be a little less caring. She was supposed to talk to Jim after school, and she really wanted to define what they were and why the hell he was so angry all the time.

Darci and Mary exchanged a glance. "He can come to your house too, right? If he makes you happy, we won't object." Darci placed a comforting hand on her back.

"Even if he is totally on the loser spectrum," muttered Mary. Darci lightly slapped the back of her head.

Claire blinked. "You want to clarify that a bit?"

"It's not unusual for people to find comfort in each other after losing something important to them. It can often lead to strong relationships."

Her amusement overwhelmed her irritation, and she started laughing. "You think me and Toby are _together_?"

Mary nudged Darci's shoulder. "See, I told you! Claire's way too smart to go for him!"

"Toby is great once you get to know him, but he's not really my type. You guys should get to know him, Darci especially would love his jokes."

Both girls raised their eyebrows at her before looking over the rails at Toby drooling over some rocks and then looking back at her. Claire rolled her eyes but nodded.

* * *

Claire's parents still weren't home yet, but there was plenty of guacamole and chips for them to all snack on. Toby, being his usual self, raised a hand. "I have a question."

Mary scoffed, but Darci smiled at him. "What's that?"

"What am I doing here? I mean, you guys are all friends, but I'm not really part of this clique or social level. I'd kind of like to be at my best friend's house, thanks."

"Don't you have any other losers who you hang out with?" Mary sounded genuinely curious. They all put their backpacks down around the front door, except for Toby.

"Nah. It's always been me and Jimbo. We've… never really had anyone else. I moved here right when his dad walked out on him, and I've only ever had my nana. We filled a lot of each other's gaps. No one else ever understood us enough."

Mary had gotten progressively more surprised as he had been talking, and now she was on the verge of tears. Despite her social obsessiveness, Mary was surprisingly caring, and now she understood how much she had tread on his feelings. She covered her mouth. "I'm so sorry, Toby, I never… I'm really sorry."

Toby arched an eyebrow, looking at her strangely. "Uh… it's fine? I mean, I'm pretty used to it."

Darci put a hand on his shoulder. "Not to be a downer, but you just lost the only friend you had, the one who filled the hole of your parents. I don't really know what that feels like, but we're here for you. If you want us, we can be your friends."

Claire felt like facepalming. Obviously, Toby had completely forgotten about his best friend going 'missing,' and now it was throwing off his cover. Belatedly, Toby seemed to realize that too, glancing at her wide-eyed. "Oh, um, yeah. That'd be really great, to have friends, which I guess I currently… don't have?" Toby gave them all an awkward sort of grimace.

Predictably, it was Mary who hugged him first. Darci joined in after her, and Toby looked at Claire, communicating as best as he could for her to help. Smirking, Claire shook her head. Toby's lips curled, and he did his best to gesture her over without the other two seeing. Darci caught her gaze and smiled. "C'mon Claire, there's room for another." Sighing, Claire stood up. Toby grinned at her victoriously before she joined in, doing her best to squeeze the little round bugger to death.

They all separated, Toby looking a little blue but grinning nonetheless. Claire realized that this was probably the most attention he'd ever gotten from girls his age. Catching his eyes, she sent him a glare and ran a finger across her throat to get across her point. No funny business. Toby gulped, nodding vigorously.

She got a text from Jim. 'If you want, I can meet them tonight after I hash out the plan I just thought of with Blinky.'

'What's the plan?' she typed already knew who he was referring to. She wouldn't be surprised if he was watching them from his house. It wasn't like he had much else to do.

'I'm a trainer that Blinky brought in specifically to help train you because of my human-like qualities. We don't know what race I am, not that anyone will ask.'

Thinking over it, Claire nodded to herself. It was a pretty solid idea, especially because no other troll would ask him what he was. No one would ever assume that there could be two Trollhunters, either. This way, he could help her without anyone suspecting who or what he actually was.

'I think that's a great idea, but you should definitely talk with Blinky about it.' Rather than another text, a brief pulse of satisfaction radiated across their bond. It reminded her of the other thing she wanted to talk to him about. 'Don't think you've gotten out od your talk with me.'

Amusement raced across her soul. 'Wouldn't dream of it.'

"So, who are you texting, C-bomb?" Mary popped up behind her, trying to read her texts. In a brief moment of horror, Claire realized that she had never changed Jim's contact name in her phone. Mary's eyes slid from the top of the phone to her eyes, before falling back on the couch. She blinked to herself.

Darci looked over to them. "What's up, Mare?"

"She's texting Jim." The look on her face didn't change, as if there was some problem that she couldn't work out in front of her. Darci gasped, her hands covering her mouth.

Toby quickly interjected. "Different Jim, I saw it before and thought it was Jim too. I got really angry until she explained it to me."

"I don't care what sob story you have, he was texting her about Blinky. Jim wasn't taken, was he? He's with the trolls for something." Mary was obviously trying hard to figure out what was happening. Darci was looking between her and Claire, who wore an expression like she had just been caught with her hand in the cookie jar.

"Claire? Is she right?" Darci put her hands on her hips, getting the image of an irate mother. She sent a glare at Toby, who had tried to pipe in with another explanation.

Claire sighed and nodded.

Darci's eyes tightened, and she crossed the room to Mary. She rested a hand on her arm. "I think you owe us both an explanation."

Claire stood and motioned for them to follow. Toby jumped up ahead of her, spreading his arms over the doorframe. "Are you insane? You know how he's been recently! How is he going to take everything being derailed so quickly?"

"He'll understand, Toby. If anything he told us is true, and he hasn't lied yet, then he's fairly well acquainted with things not going his way." Toby still refused to step away. Claire rolled her eyes and walked into the kitchen, Darci and Mary following her.

"Where are you going?" He yelled after her.

"Out the back door!" she yelled back. Forcing some form of what she hoped felt like an apology across her bond with Jim, she set off in the direction of his house.

* * *

Jim's head tilted in curiosity from his bedroom window when he saw that the girls had left Claire's house. Toby went from the front door, sprinting down the street. Jim bounded down the stairs to let him in.

"Shut the door!" he panted, out of breath. "They figured out that you're still around and Claire is taking them here!"

That would explain the apology from the bond. His annoyance spike briefly but simmered down to its usual level when he thought about it. It wasn't really anyone's fault, just circumstances that conspired against them. He sighed briefly, formulating his thoughts before responding. "It's fine, Toby. It's not it's her fault that they found out. I've had worse hiccups in my plans, this one is pretty minor, and it doesn't involve angry supernatural beings trying to murder me. I'd rank it as a win."

Toby stood up straight, his eyes pointed to the ceiling, thinking. He shrugged, then nodded. "Well, when you put it like that, I guess it's fine. You might want to put a shirt on, though. These are high school girls, they're probably not ready for a seven-foot six dude with the most chiseled physique they've ever seen. They just know that it's Jim, not troll Jim."

The half-troll nodded. He cleared all of the stairs with a single leap, walking into his room where the hoodie that he had used a few days ago was. He quickly shuffled into it, then thought better of going back down the stairs. "Toby, could you tell them that it's troll Jim and not human Jim? That'd probably make it easier on them."

Toby quickly caught onto his thinking. "Yeah, you stay up there! You can hear us all talking, right?"

"Yeah."

"All right, I'll tell you when to come down then."

It was about a minute before he heard the girls approach the back door. He heard Toby let them in before someone smacked his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"You really tried to stop us all from going out the front door?"

"Alright, so it wasn't my best plan. I panicked!"

It had been a long time since he had heard the voice of someone other than his inner circle of friends, but he was pretty sure that Darci started talking. "Most people only panic when they're guilty." Her tone was accusatory.

"Yeah, well, I'm not going to be giving up my best friend to the authorities. Can't, especially with how he is now."

The next voice was really high-pitched. Mary's. "And how is he now?"

"He's… not exactly human anymore?" Jim smacked his forehead. Toby was getting far too nervous. Who was he trying to impress? Thankfully, Claire took over.

"He's half-troll now. We'll tell you why later, but for now, just know that this is Jim. The same Jim who helps everyone with homework and problems at home and their personal life. Okay?" Claire spoke softly, but he could still hear it.

"Okay…?" Darci sounded slightly apprehensive. He didn't blame her.

"Jimbo, you can come down now," Toby called. Taking in a deep breath, Jim opened the door to his room. He stepped on to the stairs, forcing himself down them before he could change his mind.

He heard two gasps when he stepped into view. In the kitchen, Darci was gaping at him while Mary covered her mouth, her complexion getting even paler. Jim sighed, directing his gaze at the ground. Even though their reactions were expected, it still hurt when he realized that people truly didn't think of him as human anymore.

Claire walked up to him and wrapped her arms around him. "Hey Jim," she said, pulling back with a bright smile on her face. "You have a nice sleep?" Understanding dawned on him, and Jim sent her back a full grin. He appreciated that she was trying to show the others that it really was still him.

Darci and Mary approached him slowly. Sitting on the floor so that he would be level with them, Jim let them examine him. Darci ran her hands over his horns while Mary walked around him, a contemplative look on her face. Finally, they both turned to Claire. "Why is he like this?"

His annoyance spiked. So he wasn't human anymore, but did they have to talk like he couldn't understand him anymore? "You know that I can understand you, right?"

Claire sent him a worried look. Rolling his eyes, he took a deep breath to calm himself so it wouldn't affect her. With a start, he noticed that Darci and Mary had backed away from him, probably unprepared for him to talk with a different voice. He cleared his throat, the sound coming out more like a growl. Wincing, he continued on with an explanation. "I'm from the future."

The two girls raised their eyebrows before glancing at each other. "Okay, did the three of you collaborate on this? I came here partially to find a missing person that the police department is currently searching for. If you're not going to take this seriously, I'm leaving," said Darci, glaring.

Jim sighed. Deciding that he wanted to test something, he did his best to put the idea of summoning Daylight and giving it to him in Claire's mind. A gasp came from her, before she looked him in the eyes and nodded. "For the glory of Merlin, Daylight is mine to command!" Everyone except Jim covered their eyes as Claire's armor formed around her.

The glare lessening, Mary snarked at them. "Are you planning on attacking us?" In response, Claire just threw Daylight to Jim.

It looked much like a short sword in his hands, he mused. Much smaller than he was used to. Looking up, he met Darci's wide eyes, smirking at her gaping face. "But – I thought only Trollhunters could wield Daylight?"

Jim nodded. "That's right."

"Then how-"

Mary cut her off. "He's the Trollhunter." When Jim nodded to her in confirmation, still sitting, she continued. "From the future."

"Yeah. Trust me, I didn't plan on this." He grabbed the blunt side of the blade and handed Daylight back to Claire, hilt first. She took it, dismissing both it and the armor after looking at her friends a moment longer.

Darci and Mary sat down on the couch, carefully examining everyone in the room. Darci cleared her throat. "So, Jim, do you have an amulet too?"

In response, Jim lifted up his hoodie. Mary's face instantly turned red, her jaw dropping. Darci had red rise over her face, but tactfully ignored it for examining the amulet embedded over Jim's heart more closely. Mary started drooling, her eyes not leaving Jim's exposed midriff. Claire snapped her fingers in front of Mary's face, glaring at her meaningfully. Shaking off her stupor, the Asian girl flicked her eyes between Jim and Claire before she slowly started smirking. "So that's why you didn't tell us," she started. "You didn't want to share."

Claire's eyes widened, before she started vehemently denying it. "It's not like that! He just – we didn't – I wanted to – ugh!" She glared at her friend's laughs, attracting Darci's attention. From Claire's red face and Mary snorting with laughter, it didn't take her long to piece together what they were talking about. She decided to get in on the action.

"Hey Claire! You got dibs, or do you mind if I move in?" Mary doubled over from her new wave of laughter, and Toby started laughing. Claire turned a thunderous expression on her before a flash of light forced Darci to cover her eyes.

Claire looked dumbfounded standing in her newly summoned armor. Jim started chuckling, surprising everyone with his deep, growling laughter. It took him a few seconds to realize that no one else was laughing, and he ducked his head in mortification. He felt a wave of affection and happiness from Claire, whose armor dissipated. She was smiling warmly at him. "What?" he asked, somewhat conscious of himself.

Her smile turned into a full-blown grin. "That's the first time that I've heard you laugh." She walked up to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "I like it."

"Jesus, just kiss already!" Darci shouted from her position next to Mary on the couch. Toby, standing next to them, put both thumbs up and grinned at the two of them.

Claire rolled her eyes, stepping away from Jim, who stood up. The half-troll looked at them, internally debating on what to tell them. He sighed, figured that they should be in the know, now that they were involved. "Alright, you two, this is the last time that I'm going to go through this story, so listen up. Hold your questions until the end."

He spun his tale for them, going over the bare bones of the story. He wasn't going to share anything too personal with them, he didn't know them all too well. The parts that they were in were included, though, as he figured they would want to know what anything that they needed to worry about.

By the end, Mary was gushing about how cool everything was and how she was going to be the best sidekick ever, while Darci stared at Jim with a frown. He was getting a bit uncomfortable but masked it by crossing his arms over his chest. "What?"

"The transformation. What was it like?"

"I don't remember." He hoped that she didn't catch the tremor in his voice.

"I think you do. What was it like?" She pressed further, her eyes narrowing.

"It doesn't matter. It's not going to happen to anyone else." Jim did his best to dismiss the issue, since the others were starting to get curious about it.

"You practically skipped over it, just said you transformed. Why? And why wouldn't you want it to happen to anyone else?"

Jim cut the conversation off. "Enough. It doesn't matter. You two need to be going, anyways." He couldn't keep the tiny growl and rising anger out of his voice or the bond.

Claire caught his eye. She firmly pushed a calming influence over the bond, but it wasn't enough. He wanted them out of his house. This was his territory, and they had overstayed their welcome.

Toby knew what was happening. "Wow, look at the time! Your parents must be wondering where you are, it's time to go!" He grabbed their bags, taking them out the door. Claire nodded at them, making them reluctantly get up and follow Toby.

Jim sat heavily on the couch, heaving out an angered breath and putting his head in his hands. They clenched around his head slightly, pulling on his hair before he moved them to stroke his horns. Claire sat down next to him, doing her best to soothe him physically and emotionally. Without looking at her, he started talking. "I don't want to be like this."

"I know." She laid her cheek on his upper arm, leaning her body into his side. Her warmth did wonders on his nerves. The half-troll looked down at her, and she smiled up at him. She lifted a hand to his cheek, stroking it lightly, making him smile. "Can we talk now?" she asked softly.

Jim nodded, bracing himself for what he assumed would be an unpleasant talk. He wasn't prepared for her question of "What are we?"

The veteran Trollhunter that had seen far too many surprises blinked, completely surprised. "Uh… you're human, I'm half Jotun?"

"No, not like that. What are we? As in, our relationship?" She lowered her hand. Jim bit his lip, barely managing not to ask her to put it back. Instead, he focused on her question.

Contemplating it, he actually wondered. He knew that there was something there, there always had been. Even before they met. He didn't want to move too fast and scare her off, though. "I… don't know." Calling them friends felt wrong. They were more than that, despite Claire not knowing him all that long.

"What do you want to be?" Claire stared up at him, not breaking eye contact.

"More." He didn't even hesitate, he knew what he wanted. Thanks to their bond, he had a pretty good idea of what she wanted too.

Claire moved from his side, pulling herself into his lap. Jim's heart swelled from the sight, how tiny she was compared to him now. The moment he had met her, he knew that he was gone.

There was no resistance as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth to hers, their souls rejoicing with each other as their bodies did the same.


	10. Dead Trolls Talk Too Much

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

* * *

Jim pulled his cloak tighter around him as he walked down the crystal staircase with AAARRRGGHH! and Blinky. They were confident that their plan would work, and Jim had multiple layers covering his amulet, but his main concern was Draal and Vendel. It would be difficult to see the troll that had practically become his brother and his cantankerous mentor again.

Hopefully, Vendel wouldn't pick up on what he was. There were some trolls that were his relative size, and some even smaller. If all went well, Jim would simply be written off as another denizen of Trollmarket.

The problem was, nothing ever just 'went well,' not with his life. Darci and Mary discovering everything yesterday was proof of that.

Regardless of his misgivings, he was still here. The half-troll had faith in his surrogate father, and if this meant that he could spend more time with his friends and family, then that was great. He just hoped that he wouldn't react too badly when seeing Draal.

Like breaking down in tears and hugging him.

That would be bad.

Remembering that Draal was an incorrigible asshole at this time helped a little bit, but he still remembered the troll that became a part of his family more than the conflicts they had at the beginning of their lives. Vendel would be easier to deal with; Jim hadn't been as close with him.

Stepping off the final crystal, Jim stepped into the light of the Heartstone for the first time since becoming the troll.

And immediately stopped.

It was the most wonderful feeling that Jim had ever experienced. It was like being bathed in the warmth of the sun again; but even greater. There was no sunburn here, instead, he felt it replenishing his body. He hadn't slept since the girls had spoken with him; he was too busy concocting a plan to take care of something important on the surface. Something with the name of Strickler.

That was besides the point, though. The Heartstone replenished his fatigue, until he felt better than he ever had before, even when he was a human. He felt strong, stronger than anything that he had ever faced. Confidence filled his body, happiness bubbling up and the undercurrent of constant anger finally washing away.

And now, Jim understood all the trolls that he had met.

They felt this way all the time. They were so overconfident because of the Heartstone's influence, so abrasive because the Heartstone made them feel they were above everything and everyone else. After all, how could humans ever amount to anything without the power of a Heartstone?

"Master Jim?" Blinky, speaking in Trollish, put a hand on his shoulder. Jim shook himself off, physically forcing back the influence of the Heartstone. He sighed.

"Sorry, Blinky. First time I've ever actually felt the Heartstone."

"Yes, I would imagine that it would be rather overwhelming for a human. I also believe that it has explained a great many things for you." The six-eyed troll looked at him meaningfully, waiting to hear his thoughts.

"Trollmarket is addicted to the feeling of power they get off of it."

They started walking through the streets, following Blinky. "You are correct, Master Jim. In the Old World, there was no Heartstone even approaching the size of our magnificent one. Trolls gained far less sustenance than they do here, forcing them to consume minerals and stone constantly. Eventually, they were forced to find food on the surface when the population expanded too much for the meager mineral growths to sustain them. It was then that trolls and humans came into contact, and eventually conflict."

They passed through the market area, and Jim couldn't stop himself from staring. It seemed so much different than before, despite the fact that nothing had changed. Only his perspective. He understood all of the previously unusual things that they sold; static filled televisions entranced him with the electrons dancing across their screens, the smell wafting off certain meats made his mouth water and sounds that he couldn't hear before beckoned to him. "It's completely different as a troll. Everything. I understand why Trollmarket was so averse to the idea of a human Trollhunter; I couldn't have understood any of the small parts of the culture. What you sell, what you eat, your entertainment; it all appeals to me now."

"Yes, but your humanity was the change that Trollmarket needed to finally rid itself of all our past failures. As strange as it sounds, your disregard for Troll culture was what saved us, Master Jim." Jim nodded, knowing from Merlin's illusions what would have happened had he not become the Trollhunter. Still, the loss of over half of Trollmarket haunted him. He would do everything in his power to stop it this time around.

Blinky brought the two of them into his library. AAARRRGGHH! happily sat down on a cushion in the corner, while Blinky showed him a trapdoor. "This leads to my domicile. It has many rooms, more than AAARRRGGHH! and I require for our own living space. Any time that you are not above the surface, you are more than welcome to take refuge here."

Jim smiled at him. Blinky had never showed him it before, but that was sensible since a Troll's territory was very private and they had not confirmed their father-son bond until after Trollmarket had been lost. Now that he was partly a troll himself, he could truly appreciate the magnitude of Blinky's offer. He gently butted his forehead against Blinky's, bringing a smile to his surrogate father's face. "Thank you," he said quietly.

"Jim brother now." AAARRRGGHH! was grinning widely on his cushion. Not wanting to leave the Krubera out, Jim knocked his horns against the larger troll's while Blinky watched on fondly.

The three moved into the area beneath the trap door. Jim smiled at the amount of color everywhere, and the number of items scattered around on the floor or on various hollowed out sections in the walls. They weren't artifacts; or perhaps they were, but of a more personal nature. Dolls and crystals and images of Blinky's and AAARRRGGHH!'s adventures and such. And now, Jim would be joining them.

"This room will be yours, Master Jim. We have never had a use for it, resulting in its current vacant state. Indeed, we were rather hopeful that someone else would come along to fill it, but we were never too certain. I will procure furniture within the week, and I do hope that you will fill it with fond memories." Blinky gestured to the room, which had four walls with a dome-like ceiling. It was large enough for AAARRRGGHH! to fit in comfortable and was about the size of his entire bottom floor at home. Jim's eyes widened as he realized that this was to be his private room.

"This entire room is all mine?" Disbelief was laced through his voice. How would he ever use all this space?

"Of course, Master Jim. AAARRRGGHH! and I are prestigious members of Trollmarket's society. We have an abundance of territory, even if I do not command much respect."

"Changed," rumbled the Krubera. "Trolls nicer to Blinky now."

Jim blinked. "Nicer? It's great that people are starting to see who you really are, but how'd you get that to happen?"

"That change can be contributed to you. In your tale of the future, I was supposedly a hero and the successor to Vendel. I realized that if I wanted to prove you right, change was needed. Trolls find those who stand up for themselves much more respectable, and while I refuse to resort to such petty means as violence, a great deal of tongue-lashing has forced a new perspective on them. Many of them have even begun to visit my library in an attempt to understand my diction."

"Blinky changing Trollmarket," said AAARRRGGHH!, smiling down at the smaller troll. "Proud of Blinky."

"Ah, just something I should have done long ago, dear friend." Blinky laid a hand on his arm. "Would you like to visit the Hero's Forge, Master Jim? I believe that it would do both you and Lady Claire a great deal of good if you were to once again familiarize yourself with your training equipment."

The half-troll bared his pointy teeth in a savage grin. "Absolutely."

* * *

Turns out, picking a weapon when you've wielded a special version of a sword magically fitted to complement you in every way is hard. As of now, Jim had gone through at least fifteen different swords, had completely eschewed axes and maces, and was at his own wits end.

"Master Jim, you know the exact weight and balance of a sword that you need. That is why all of these other swords are inadequate – we can probably forge you a sword if we can get the measurements, weight, and balance of your own sword. It simply won't have the innate abilities of it." Blinky tried to console his young charge, who was getting far too worked up.

"They're all made for much larger trolls," Jim grumbled. He tossed another at the rack, annoyed at its balance. A sudden calming influence gently flowed through him. He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. Taking it out, the text confirmed what he thought.

'Cool your tits, Jim.' It was from Claire. 'I get being annoyed in the morning, but I'd rather not try to murder my parents.'

'Sorry,' he texted back. 'I'll tone it down.'

The half-troll let her calming influence ground him. It was much easier with the Heartstone soothing him. "Where would we go to get this sword forged?"

"Nuri's Smithy. Come, we'll get the measurements for Eclipse back home and then proceed ourselves to the smithy for the sword."

Doing so, the three went back to Blinky's house, disappearing under the trap door. They entered another large room, one that looked to be a sort of troll living room, with tables and chairs around them and a heating crystal situated in a groove in the middle of the room. Jim summoned Eclipse, laying the sword out on a paper that Blinky used to cover a table. AAARRRGGHH! grabbed measuring tools which Blinky made use of, stretching his arms out and making marks on the paper for the length of the hilt and sword. "Now, we will have to vary the shape of the sword. People would not be happy if you carried a facsimile of the symbol of their most beloved defender."

Jim nodded, agreeing with Blinky's logic. The six-eyed troll finished marking the paper with measurements. "Now, hold aloft Eclipse. Where would you say the center of balance is?"

Lifting the sword, Jim swung it a bit to get the feel. He had never actively taken notice of the specifics of his blade before but was able to gesture to a point along the blade. Blinky nodded, making a mark corresponding to the spot on the paper. He clapped together his top palms while rolling up the sheet with his bottom pair of arms. "Come, my compatriots. Nuri's smithy is our next objective."

"Blinkous Galadrigal!" Jim's heart stopped. Even though he already heard this voice over the phone, even if he knew that the cantankerous old goat was still alive, he was nowhere near prepared to face him.

Blinky seemed to pick up on his surrogate son's dilemma and gestured for him to stay put. He beckoned for AAARRRGGHH! to follow him before climbing up the stairs that led to the trap door. "What is it, Vendel? We're a bit busy."

"I care not for your schemes, Blinkous. I was told that you guided an immigrant throughout Trollmarket today. Normally, I would not care, but for you to personally bring in a new troll, and of an unknown kind at that, I have grown a bit worried."

"It's nothing that you need to concern yourself with. We do not care what people you are from at Trollmarket, yes?"

"Why have you gone to the trouble of directly bringing in an immigrant, Blinkous?"

Blinky's sigh was audible, even through a stone slab. "He is of a similar build to a human, and a veteran warrior. He is also a personal friend. I brought him to assist in the training of the Trollhunter."

Jim could practically see Vendel stroking his goatee. After a brief pause to consider his words, Vendel spoke. "We've never relied on outsiders before."

"We've never had a human Trollhunter before."

There was another silence. "Your tongue hardens by the day, Blinkous. I do not know its cause, but it is gaining you respect. Fine, bring your trainer. We will see the crystallization of their efforts in the Trollhunter's duel against Draal." The elder of Trollmarket ambled off, his staff clinking with him.

Jim walked up the stairs, joining his new family. "Sorry, I just… wasn't ready."

Blinky smiled at him, putting a hand on his shoulder and squeezing it. "I would say that it is a normal reaction, but this is not a normal situation. You are doing the best you can, and that is all that matters, my son."

Jim couldn't help the grin that spread across his face at the form of address. AAARRRGGHH! grinned at them, before pulling both of them into his arms and lifting them into the air. "More family," he said, squeezing them. "I like more family." Jim and Blinky laughed, putting their arms around the massive troll as best as they could.

* * *

Nuri was an interesting troll. She was a couple feet shorter than AAARRRGGHH!, but had a much more gangly body. Her legs started at Jim's midriff, and her hands brushed against the ground. A slight hunch sloped her shoulders, and she wore goggles and a protective cloth as she pounded at a glowing piece of metal at an anvil.

The three Trollhunters patiently waited for her to become available, examining the other wares in the smithy. A particularly interesting weapon caught Jim's eye. Lifting it, he turned to Blinky. "What is this?"

Blinky walked over him, taking it out of his hands. "An interesting take on a traditional Eastern human weapon that I believe to be called a kusari-fundo. However, the human weapon has a much shorter chain, and does not have a short sword attached to the end. It's usually some form of a blunt pole." The banging behind them stopped.

Jim furrowed his brow. "Would a troll ever use this?"

"No, because they're all too old-fashioned. A bunch of stuck up idiots. With the weight in that thing, you could cut down an unarmored troll in seconds before they ever got close to you. But because they've never used anything like it before, it's obviously worthless." Nuri entered from the door behind them, a speaking with a surprisingly high-pitched and sour voice.

Jim nodded before he put it back in its position. Nuri turned an eye on Blinky, taking off her goggles and squinting at him. Jim noticed that her right eye had a deep groove in its pupil, fogging the rest of the eye over. "The great Blinkous Galadrigal finally returns to my shop. Why shouldn't I throw you out now?"

"Come now, our dispute was seven decades ago." Blinky spread his hands, trying to lighten her glare. She simply crossed her arms. He sighed. "I'm a paying customer."

Nuri nodded and held out her hand. Blinky handed her the rolled-up paper he was holding. Unfurling it, she examined the paper, peering at it closely. "Sword?"

"Indeed."

"Shape?"

"Straight, though no preference beyond that."

"Material?"

"Mountain steel."

"Color?"

Jim interjected. "Black, with any highlights in red."

Nuri regarded him curiously before turning back to Blinky.

"Payment?"

"Esoteric."

"More exotic weapon blueprints?" Nuri mulled over it for a bit. "Fine." She held out a hand. Blinky pulled a parcel out of one of his bags and put it in her waiting palm. "Come back in a few hours, I'll have it by then."

"My gratitude."

She grumbled. "Thank me when I've actually made it."

Blinky beckoned for Jim and AAARRRGGHH! to follow him out of the smithy. "While we are waiting for her to complete her work, would you like to return to the Forge? You can at least work on the dodging courses."

Jim grinned and nodded. He had some fond memories of being nearly roasted alive and cleaved in half. Which, in retrospect, probably said something about his state of mind that wasn't a glowing analysis. Mentally, he shrugged. It wasn't like he was human anymore, anyways.

* * *

The Hero's Forge was just as he remembered it. The past Trollhunters stared into the distance, forever gazing over their successor's training. Intimidating, creepy, and awe-inspiring, all at once. The axes, scythes, and other various instruments of death all hid safely in the walls and below the floor of the Forge. The only problem he had was the also-familiar whirring and smashing Soothscryer in the center of the arena.

"Oh, _hell_ no." He was not going to deal with a bunch of old dead assholes telling him that he sucked.

"Master Jim, haven't you already done this?"

"I don't need their condescending asses in my life right now."

"Won't go away until you talk to them." The Krubera rumbled from his side.

"Then they're going to wait for a long time. We can find other places to train Claire."

"Master Jim."

"No."

" _Son_."

Jim sighed, dragging a hand down his face. His phone vibrated, and Jim immediately pulled it out, welcoming the distraction.

'Are you okay? What's happening?'

Claire had probably picked up on his strange concoction of annoyance, fear, and apprehension.

'A bunch of dead assholes think they can tell me what to do.'

'What?'

Yeah, that probably hadn't made that much sense.

'Try not to kill anyone, because I'm probably about to get pissed.'

Taking a deep breath, Jim put his phone back in his pocket. Walking up to the whirring machine, he glared at it before gesturing AAARRRGGHH! over for a lift. He was taller, but still wasn't quite the size of most trolls. When the lumbering giant held out his palm for Jim to stand on, the half-troll did so, hesitating briefly before jamming his hand between the spinning blades and crushing pillar.

Opening his eyes that he had unknowingly closed, Jim was greeted with a darkened version of the Hero's Forge, glowing ethereally blue in spots. Glowing blue lights floated and zoomed around above him.

" _Abomination,"_ some hissed.

" _Unworthy,"_ said others.

Jim rolled his eyes. "If that's all you brought me here for, you can fuck right off." He knelt down on the ground, trying to figure out how to send himself back to the real world. Before, Kanjigar had always sent him back. Speaking of the courageous former Trollhunter…

Jim quickly summoned the Eclipse armor and deflected a sword arcing down at him before lashing out with a straight kick that slammed into the ghostly troll's stomach. Kanjigar the Courageous grunted as he was forcefully reintroduced to the wall. Looking up, he saw the half-troll walking towards him with a growl building in the back of his throat. "Really? Kanjigar the Courageous attacking someone from the back?"

" _That is not Daylight."_ The dead Trollhunter's voice echoed to him. Rolling his eyes again, Jim scoffed.

"Of course not. Daylight doesn't do shit to Gunmar. This is Eclipse."

" _He has the shadow's bane!"_ The chorus of other dead trolls spoke above him. Briefly growling at them, he looked back to Kanjigar.

" _We know you are of the future."_

"I know you know. You're kind of nosy, watching everyone from the Void and all."

" _You were an unknown. We couldn't afford to not watch you."_

"This conversation is getting nowhere quickly. If you don't mind, then I'd like to go back to the real world."

" _He mocks us,"_ hissed one of the statues.

"If you think that's mocking, then I wonder how you feel when I'm actively trying." Jim began examining the ground again, trying to figure out how Kanjigar sent him back.

" _You would be wise to accept the council of those who came before you."_

"I'd rather accept the council of the people who are still breathing." Hissing and roaring sounds came from the spirits of the former Trollhunters, but Jim found that he couldn't care less. "I feel like there's a reason they're that way and you're not."

Before any of the spirits could respond, one of the statues lit up with a surprisingly pleasant laugh. Squinting at it, Jim tried to remember which one it was, but found he couldn't. _"I like this one,"_ rang the statue, its eyes briefly glowing blue with each word. _"He shows no fear; unafraid to speak how he feels."_

" _But the code,"_ hissed another voice.

" _The first rule."_ Another agreed.

" _Fear is something that one should control, my brethren. One must feel it, but it is better not to show it. Especially in speech. He is confident while still being wary of his surroundings."_ The voice paused, a small glowing ball leaving the statue. It took the form of a large troll woman, her lower half containing most of her mass. _"I have the feeling that you were a fine Trollhunter before. Prove it."_

With that, he was forcefully removed from the Void.

His surrogate father and brother/uncle/other father were waiting for him outside. When they saw him encased in his Eclipse armor, AAARRRGGHH! quickly surrounded him until it was drawn back into his amulet. Blinky was clacking his fingers together nervously when the Krubera lifted his arms from around him again. Jim cocked his head at his mentor, silently asking him what the problem was.

"Did you, by any chance, talk to Deya the Deliverer?"

"Which statue is hers again?"

Blinky pointed to the statue of the woman that had talked to him. It made a lot of sense, once he thought about it. She was supposedly the greatest Trollhunter of all time. "Yeah, she said that she thought I would do great as the Trollhunter because I essentially told the entire Council of Elder Trollhunters to piss off."

"Well, that at least explains why she lit up," Blinky mused, caressing his chin.

"She lit up in the real world?"

"Yes, a brief laughter emitted from her visage. None of them have ever performed a similar feat, though Deya was far more magically literate than any of the other Trollhunters. Perhaps the reason that she was able to perform many of her greatest triumphs."

"Wait. If trolls can use magic, then why do you rely on an amulet made by a human wizard? Why do you all fear a human sorceress?" Jim scratched the back of his neck with a furrowed brow.

"Because trolls cannot perform the same magic that humans are capable of. It is the very reason that we feared the humans of old; magic was much more abundant then. Even the most basic soldier knew enough magic to sharpen the edge of his sword enough to cut through the stone flesh of a troll. No, while we can perform magic, it is limited to enchantment, and the enchantment must come from a previously existing magic source, such as the stones in your amulet. Our geomancy is simply another form of enchantment, using an enchanted paste in certain sigils to produce a desired effect."

"Huh." A sudden thought occurred to Jim. "Could I learn magic?"

"Why would you… oh. Not from trolls. Although, that is something that you should take the time to study. Why have I never thought of that before? A Trollhunter with magic would be one of the greatest warriors in the world!" Blinky stroked his chin. "You are half-troll, though. I do not know if you would be able to wield any magic, much less the more extreme magics that Merlin was fabled to have performed. But it is worth a try, I would say."

"Something to keep an eye out for in the Old World, then?"

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! looked down. The giant mumbled, "Forgot you were leaving."

Right. He hadn't even told Claire about that yet. He should probably do that soon. He could also probably ask Morgana about magic, but he wasn't too sure how responsive she would be. They were getting on better terms, but he would have to work on her a bit more before he could ask that.

"It's not like I'll be gone forever," he said. "Just long enough to establish some ties and get Rot his soul back. Not that I currently have any idea where it is…"

The three stood in silence for a few minutes, pondering over the coming days. Eventually, Jim shook himself off. "Can we get to the real reason that we came here in the first place? I want to use this bad boy again."

"Bad boy?" Blinky blinked.

Jim rubbed the back of his neck. "Figure of speech."

Blinky nodded. Then, with a mischievous look, pulled the lever without giving his surrogate son any warning.

The arena roared to life around them, jets of fire lancing out and blades scything towards Jim. Platforms raised and lowered, and axes swung in and out of the walls.

A feral grin crossed Jim's face, and he let off a primal roar before throwing himself right in the midst of it.


	11. Tarmek

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

 **Geez, it's been a while. Sorry about the long wait. I'll be trying to update more from now on, so the wait for the next chapter will not be this long.**

* * *

The cafeteria was just as loud as it normally was, kids screaming, talking, and yelling as they always did. A particular corner was filled with raucous laughter from Toby's recounting of the one time he walked in on Jim eating a blender. Some of the other kids questioned why the upper echelon of the female students in their grade was hanging out with the loser fat kid, but generally sympathized with his loss of Jim and didn't bother them.

"He looked like a deer in the headlights, you should've seen it! He had this giant piece of glass sticking out of his mouth and he just kind of swallowed it while I was watching, and I almost panicked before I remembered that it wouldn't kill him. Then Claire walked in, and they were still really awkward around each other then, so it wasn't really funny after that." Toby sobered up near the end of his story, but then shrugged. "They're cool now, though, so I count that as a win."

Mary elbowed Claire, who was between her and Darci. "A little more than cool, huh Darce?"

"I'm pretty sure it's a little hot between them now."

Claire ignored them, tapping out a text on her phone and then giggling. The others exchanged glances. "Claire?"

She looked up at them. "Oh, sorry, I was just talking to Jim."

Darci rolled her eyes. "Of course you were."

Mary grabbed her shoulders tightly, grinning brightly. "I knew you would fall eventually! Now you'll understand me! How does it feel to be in looove?" She drew the last word out, leaning her head on Claire's shoulder and batting her eyelashes at her.

The Trollhunter rolled her eyes and pushed Mary's head off her shoulder. "I'm not in love," she grumbled. Her smile stayed resolutely on her face, despite her attempts to brush it off. "I think," the girl added softly to herself.

"He is." Toby drew their attention, rolling his eyes at their questioning looks. "Please, he's been head over heels for you since you told him the answer to that one math problem freshman year."

In her mind, Claire replayed that moment. She remembered how he stuttered while trying to thank her, slapping his forehead when he thought she wasn't looking. It was how she had first gained interest in him. "It started that early?"

"Oh yeah." Toby grinned. "I have years of blackmail material on him with the stuff he's said about you."

"Hold on just a moment." Darci butted in. "How would you kiss him? His teeth look really sharp, and wouldn't his skin be rough like a troll? That wouldn't be good for your lips."

Without thinking, Claire responded. "Nah, his teeth aren't really a problem, and his skin is just harder than a human's, not rougher." She was tapping out another reply to Jim's most recent text, asking her if the cafeteria food still sucked. Then she realized what she said. Heat crept up her face, filling her cheeks with a light red. Looking up, she met her two best friends' grinning faces. "I mean – uh – I…" She sighed. "Fudgeknuckle."

She started getting bombarded with questions from Darci and Mary, while Toby was just laughing. He whipped out his phone, and suddenly they all got a text.

'Look at Jimothy, getting it!' Claire covered her face. He just made a Trollhunters group chat.

It didn't take long for a reply. 'What?'

'Your first kiss!'

Several minutes later another text came in. 'Did you make a group chat just for this?'

'Yes.'

Jim didn't reply, but Claire could feel his amusement rolling across their bond. "He's laughing."

Darci raised an eyebrow at her. Claire made a motion to the amulet in her bag. "Soul bond thing. I can feel his amusement." She cocked his head for a moment, sensing a change in his mood. "And… terror?"

Toby texted Jim through the group chat again, asking him what was wrong. There was no answer. They all looked at each other, worried. "Underground as soon as school is over?" asked Darci.

The others all agreed.

* * *

Even with rule one, Jim thought that he was ready for any situation that could come up in Trollmarket; he found it pretty easy to adapt and go with the flow. He had come up with many plans in his own mind for this exact situation, what to say, what to do, and what he should never under any circumstance do. Like cry, for instance. Which was why he was desperately trying to control his emotional flight-or-fight response and was eternally grateful for Claire's influence over the bond, which was the only thing keeping him from falling apart.

"Well, I didn't know fleshbags came in blue." The deep voice of Draal the destroyer rang through his ears, clearer than he had ever heard before. The reason for his current predicament. They were still in the Hero's Forge, and they were taking a break to let Jim catch his breath after exercising. That was when it got complicated.

"He is a troll, Draal, just the same as you and me." Blinky crossed both pairs of arms and AAARRRGGHH! shifted to block Draal's vision of him, growling protectively.

"I've never seen his kind before." Draal tried to crane his neck around AAARRRGGHH!, but the giant took another step forward. "Defensive, aren't we?"

"Old friend. Our family. You leave, now, or I make you leave." The giant rumbled.

Draal was silent for a moment, long enough that Jim got his breath under control. He had been able to calm himself, realizing that this was not the Draal he knew and forged a brotherhood with. This was an entitled asshole who believed that the amulet belonged to him.

"I don't see the problem with meeting an immigrant, especially not as the head of Trollmarket's security. Stand aside." AAARRRGGHH! growled again, but knew that he couldn't do anything, especially not with the security card pulled. He stepped to the side, allowing Draal to meet the gaze of an unflinching Jim Lake.

Draal's face dropped into a glare. He moved forward until his face was an inch from Jim's. "Who are you?"

Pulling out a random name off the top of his head that sounded vaguely trollish, he said, "Tarmek."

The bull-like troll narrowed his eyes. "And what is your purpose here, Tarmek?"

"To train the Trollhunter."

Draal snorted in his face and growled. Jim waved his hand in front of his face and coughed. "By Deya, have you ever cleaned your mouth?"

"I should've known that someone as weak-looking as you wouldn't be able to handle the stench of a real troll. You have no real reason to be here anyways, the Trollhunter will likely be dead within the weak after our little match."

Jim raised an eyebrow. Then grabbed Draal's horns and drove his head and horns into the much larger troll's nose. The troll immediately reared back, holding his hands over his nose and roaring. Jim slammed a knee into his torso, doubling him over, then grabbed his horns again and threw him to the middle of the arena.

The half-troll walked to Draal, letting a rumbling growl build in his throat. Draal, while disoriented, was still attempting to get up. Putting a foot on his back, Jim pushed him back onto the ground. He leaned in next to his ear. "Don't presume to talk down to me."

Jim let him up and walked back to Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!. Blinky was gaping at him, while the Krubera simply grinned at him. Looking back, he saw Draal push himself off the ground and shake his head to expel any disorientation left. Before the troll could walk out, though, he threw out a piece of wisdom. "Don't underestimate others or overestimate yourself, Draal. It could lead to your death one day."

The larger blue troll swung around, grinding out, "Why would you care?"

Jim spread his hands. "I'm not here to humiliate, Draal. I'm here to teach. It doesn't have to be exclusively the Trollhunter."

Draal lingered for a moment, before he grudgingly nodded at him. Jim inclined his head back, acknowledging the gesture of respect from the elder troll. Not that he knew that. The bull-like troll's gait was suitably infused with humility as he left the Hero's Forge.

Blinky yelled a "Yes!" before looking over at Jim. The half-troll cocked his head. "You could not have handled that better. Not only did you just tell the entirety of Trollmarket that you are not someone to be trifled with, you also gained Draal's respect."

"How did I tell the entirety of Trollmarket that?"

"Draal talks about matches. Usually only wins, but Draal will tell others that you are strong." AAARRRGGHH! looked off to where Draal had left from. "Draal has respect. Respect from him is respect from Trollmarket."

Nodding, Jim conceded the point. Then he looked to his friends, a bit lost. "What do we do now?"

"What would you normally do now?" Blinky asked.

"Uh… homework? Sleep? I don't really have to do either of those things anymore, though."

"Hmmm… I have never heard of this homework."

"It's work that school gives you to do at home, because they don't have enough time to teach you everything there."

"Then that is something we could do! I shall teach you more of the beings and cultures of the Old World to prepare you for your eventual expedition, so that you may return to us more expediently."

Jim snorted, shaking his head. Blinky frowned at him. "What? Did I say something?"

He clapped his mentor on the shoulder. "Don't ever change, Blinky."

* * *

There was an anxiousness filling Jim that didn't belong to him. He wasn't quite sure what was wrong with Claire, but it was tinged by concern, so it probably wasn't something wrong with her. Mentally shrugging to himself, he redirected his focus back on the lesson that his mentor was giving him. They had relocated to the library after they left the Hero's Forge.

"Ettins are probably something that you won't run into, but it is always good to know about how dangerous the Old World can be. They are to trolls as gumm-gumms are to humans."

Jim blinked. "You mean… they eat _trolls_? I mean, I know Gatto does, but they _eat trolls?_ "

"Yes. It is unknown as to whether or not they are trolls themselves, just that they take every possible chance they can to feed their particular hunger. As a result, they are highly magically charged, often gaining strange mutations, the most common of which is multiple heads."

"They eat _trolls_?" Jim looked to AAARRRGGHH! for confirmation. The Krubera nodded.

"Gunmar went to recruit them. Took lots of trolls. Came back alone and angry. Told us that once we conquer other trolls, we kill Ettins."

"Okay." The half-troll shook his head, trying to absorb the information that trolls had cannibals. "Where do they live?"

There was a map on the table in front of them. Blinky circled an area on it. "The last time anyone was brave enough to check, here."

Jim stared at the area he pointed to, then sighed. "Of course they'd be Russian." The circle encompassed the northwest border of Russia, also encompassing southern Finland and part of Estonia.

Blinky looked strangely at him. "Russian?"

"The human country here is the country with the most land in the world, and also debatably America's greatest rival. I'm not gonna try to explain human politics and economics to you, but just know that Russia is normally depicted to us as being full of tyrants who starve their people."

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! looked shocked. "Great Gorka Morica!" exclaimed the six-eyed troll. "I had no idea humans could be so evil!"

"They're not all like that, they're just depicted like that so that Americans won't like them. It doesn't help that some of them are like that, though. The average Russian is the same as me or Toby, though. Just trying to live." Then he snorted. "If you think that's evil, you should hear about genocide and atomic bombs."

"I'm afraid I haven't heard of atomic bombs, but the only context I know of genocide is what the gumm-gumms were attempting to do to trollkind and humankind."

"Around eighty years ago, there was a human leader named Hitler who killed eighteen million people because of their religion."

Both of the trolls' jaws dropped. Blinky was the first to get his sense back. " _Eighteen million?_ " he asked in a horrified whisper.

"Their deaths weren't usually quick, either. It's the greatest tragedy in known history."

"And what happened to this – this – murderer?"

"He shot himself after consuming to capsules filled with poison so that he wouldn't have to face judgement for his crimes."

Blinky shook his head and AAARRRGGHH! growled. "There are no words to describe how awful that man was. I had no idea that humans like that even existed…"

"Far too many, Blinky."

Jim's mentor remained silent for a moment longer, before looking back at him. "Perhaps we should get back to the lesson. I'm not sure if I could stomach hearing what an atomic bomb is if it is comparable to that man."

He nodded, but before they could do anything, Jim flicked his ears. He turned his head to the doorway, listening to the metal footsteps approaching.

Not a moment later, Claire appeared in the doorway with Darci, Mary, and Toby following her. She stood panting in the doorway, hands on her knees. The other three were in a similar state. In between breaths, Toby gasped out "Jim – okay-"

"I'm fine, but are you guys?" Concernedly, Jim walked up to them, picking up Claire and Toby each in a hand and putting them on one of the tables. AAARRRGGHH! picked up Darci and Mary, carrying them into the library.

Claire took another moment to catch her breath. When she did, she looked Jim in the eye, concern surging through their bond. He realized it was now directed at him. "Are you okay?" she asked. "You were terrified earlier."

Oh. _Oh._ Jim realized that she had felt his earlier paralysis from seeing Draal alive. "No, I'm fine." He grabbed a horn, running his hand along it. "Just wasn't ready to see Draal."

Claire made an 'oh' sound, nodding to herself. "I know you said he got better, but it's hard to imagine. I saw him earlier and he slid a finger across his throat at me."

A protective growl rose in the back of Jim's throat. Blinky made a calming motion towards him. "Draal will do nothing until their duel. There is no honor or glory in it."

Jim crossed his arms. He didn't like that they had to duel in the first place. Claire sent a sense of calm towards him, and he smiled at her gratefully.

Blinky looked to Darci and Mary. "Why are all of you here?"

Mary pointed at Claire, and Toby pointed at Jim. Darci rolled her eyes. "We're not going to leave Claire or Jim behind. We're together in this now."

AAARRRGGHH! grinned at them, making a noise too low for the humans to hear, but to Jim it meant something. He wasn't sure what, but he knew it was affectionate. Blinky smiled, nodding at AAARRRGGHH! while the humans talked among themselves. He raised an eyebrow at the troll portion of his seemingly ever-increasing pack. Blinky simply said, "Tribe."

The half-troll nodded his understanding. It was a good description of their group's relationship. They weren't close enough to be family, but a tribe? A group that in troll culture, stands by the troll no matter what? It was an accurate word. He turned his attention back towards the humans, which seemed to be talking animatedly about the Hero's Forge.

"Yeah, but the fire spouts won't really do too much against stone other than annoy him. Your best bet is the blades," said Darci.

"Hold on, I thought we weren't trying to kill him," Toby said finally recovering from his run.

"The blades aren't actually sharp enough to kill a troll. The Hero's Forge is dangerous, but it's meant to teach lessons, not make sure that you die before you go out into the feel." Jim joined into their conversation, casually hooping on the table behind Toby in a deep crouch.

Darci and Mary stared at him. Long enough without talking to make him start feeling self-conscious, and he began to curl in on himself a bit. Claire immediately started sending warm feelings at him, sending a glare at her two friends who averted their eyes. Toby leaned back against Jim's legs, and while he felt an urge to nuzzle him, he repressed it.

"Does Draal have any weaknesses, Jimbo?"

Grateful for the change in conversation, Jim nodded. "Yeah, there's a blind spot behind him. The spikes obscure his vision. I used that to lure him to one of the swinging blades and catapulted him to the edge of the arena. The audience wanted me to kill him, but I pulled him back up instead. After that, he apparently lost his honor and was kicked out of Trollmarket. He then immediately saved me from a changeling in my own house, and started defending it and training me, which I sorely needed."

"O… Kay?" said Mary, frowning in confusion.

He sighed. "The moral of the story is that Draal doesn't need to die, he just needs to learn the lesson that he's not the shit. He got his honor back after he helped us stop Killahead Bridge from opening, but he still protected my house while he kept up the Hero's Forge. He's a good, loyal friend. Don't keep him from becoming that."

Claire nodded. For the first time, Jim realized that she was in her armor. He raised an eyebrow at her, which she caught. "What?"

"You're in your armor."

"Well, yeah."

"Why? This is Trollmarket, no one's going to attack you here."

Claire raised an eyebrow herself, then slid her finger across her throat. Jim rolled his eyes. "A duel of honor is different. And before you ask, there are no changelings in Trollmarket. No one is going to assassinate you here."

She nodded, but he could still feel her doubt. Even more telling was that her armor did not disappear. Then he remembered his own problems with the trolls here.

"Right, my name isn't Jim down here. I am Tarmek, so please call me that so I don't have to explain to the trolls why I have a human name."

All the humans nodded, before they heard a resonating shout. "Blinkous Galadrigal!" Jim could hear the distinct sound of crystal clinking against stone.

Blinky groaned. "He is most likely looking for you, Tarmek."

The old, goat-like troll appeared in the doorway. He gave a momentary glance of disgust to the humans, not even bothering to acknowledge them, before his foggy eyes focused on Tarmek. "You must be the trainer that Blinkous has brought in. I have been looking for you."

Jim inclined his head respectfully at the elder. **"I am honored to be a guest of Trollmarket; the tales of your wisdom have spread far and wide, honorable Vendel,"** he said in Trollish, extending a hand in greeting.

Vendel blinked. And then smiled. **"And both I and Trollmarket are honored to have you."** He glanced to Blinky. "You never told me that he was polite. I would have been much more driven to make his acquaintance."

Jim grunted to get Vendel's attention again. Smiling, he said, "I'm afraid I don't know many of the customs of Trollmarket, but since I will most likely remain here for some time, I would not be averse to learning them."

Vendel grinned at him. "Polite indeed. I would be more than pleased to teach someone such as yourself of our customs. Perhaps later, though. I hear you will be helping Blinkous train our Trollhunter, and I would like to see your training in motion before I give my approval."

Jim nodded at him. "A wise course, elder. My training will of course be open to all, not only the Trollhunter, but I will indeed be giving special attention to the Trollhunter. However, I require a weapon of my own, as mine was lost in my journey here. Nuri is making me one right now, and she will be done so, or so she told me."

"Ah, Nuri. The most respectable smith in Trollmarket, dare I say. Blinkous did well in taking you to her. I will be waiting for your first lesson after you pick up your blade." He turned, hobbling out of the library. "Impress me, Tarmek."

"I'll do my best, elder."

Silence filled the room. Jim turned around to see everyone gaping at him. "What?"

" _Vendel_ likes you." Mary's voice was incredulous.

"Uh… seems like it?" Claire's glare told him that she could definitely feel his smugness.

"Vendel hates everyone!" Darci waved her hands around.

"No, he's just got a really hard job and most people just don't give him the respect that he really should get. Plus, I'm pretty sure he's the oldest troll in the world. So, you really just have to respect him and earn his respect. I'm pretty sure he likes AAARRRGGHH!."

The Krubera shrugged when everyone looked to him. "Vendel talks to me. Tells me problems. I listen. He likes that."

Claire shook her head. "Okay, yeah, that's great and all, but I don't think that's ever going to work with me. But can we get to the whole training thing? It is the other reason I came down here so fast."

Jim nodded. "First, though, I've gotta go grab my sword from Nuri like I told Vendel."

Blinky raised an arm. "I'll come with you. I must give her the payment, after all." Jim hopped down from the table and motioned for Blinky to lead the way.

As he walked through Trollmarket, side by side with Blinky, he noticed a couple new things. Some of the trolls were pointing at him and whispering, while others simply stared at him. A couple looked at him with what seemed to be open admiration.

"Uh, why are they all staring at me?"

"You defeated Draal the deadly, one of Trollmarket's greatest warriors and the son of Kanjigar the Courageous, and you expected them to not idolize you?"

The half-troll sighed. "You have a point." Then another thought occurred to them as they walked stepped over a gaggle of gnomes. "How do they all already know what I look like?"

"You're not one of the usual kinds of trolls in Trollmarket. You are an oddity, just as Krubera such as AAARRRGGHH! and my kind are."

"I thought Trollmarket wasn't supposed to care about the whole race thing."

"More in the sense of discrimination. Different cultures are widely accepted here, and new cultures are hard to obtain without new races."

Looking around, he saw that there really weren't many trolls with similar proportions to him. None of Strickler's kind were here, and Nomura's kind, while close, was not exact. "I must be really easy to pick out."

"Indeed." They stepped into the smithy. Nuri was already waiting at her counter. Her eyes flicked up, narrowing at the sight of Blinky.

"I was hoping you wouldn't bring him, but I suppose if he has my payment then there is nothing that can be done for it." She beckoned for them to follow her, opening the door to the back of her shop.

Jim felt his eyebrows lift when he walked through the door; he actually felt the change in temperature for once. That spoke volumes to how hot it was. Nuri walked up to a sword on a rack, picking it up and presenting it to the half-troll.

It was a beautiful sword, dark black and the same length as Daylight. The shape of the blade was curious, as it started with a small width and then expanded to become like a regular medieval double-edged sword, but large enough for him. There were grooves along the blade, softly glowing red, just as the edge was. The cross guard and hilt were the same color as the blade, with the same red glowing grooves. As Jim hefted it, he noticed that it was heavier than Eclipse, but he supposed that was to be expected from a sword not made from magical light. Other than that, it felt nearly the same.

He let the arm holding it drop down to the side. "Thank you," he told Nuri, looking her in the eyes.

She gave him a brief smile. "Heard about what you did to Draal." She grabbed the papers that Blinky held out to her, her eyes flitting about as she examined the blueprints on them. After a moment, she nodded. "Bout time that someone knocked him down a few pegs."

"He lost his dad. I know what that does to you."

"His father was the Trollhunter. There is no higher status."

"A son would argue that being a father is a higher status to them."

Nuri seemed to consider the point for a moment before sighing. "True. Your payment is good, and your thoughts are sharp. If you have any problems with the sword, bring it back to me and I will see what I can do."

Nodding, Jim stepped out of the room. Blinky sighed, following him.

Once they were both out of the smithy, Jim turned to his mentor. "What happened between the two of you?"

Blinky clasped his hands together. "I may have, uh, gotten a bit too enthusiastic with a shipment of dwärkstones. Next to her smithy. Which used to be over there." He pointed to an alcove above the level they were currently on that had a gigantic section removed. "Needless to say, she has been rather displeased with me ever since." Blinky looked to the sword. "An interesting groove pattern. Would you permit me to see?"

Jim held out the sword to him. Blinky took it, holding it up hilt first and running his hands along the blade. "Nuri has named it Nightfall. A fitting name, given its color and purpose. I do appreciate the wordplay in her names."

The half-troll nodded. Blinky handed the sword back to him. Jim took a breath. "To the Forge, then?" And in a quieter voice to himself, "And my embarrassment in front of Vendel?"

"Yes indeed. To the Forge!" Before they set off though, he put a hand on Jim's shoulder. "And you won't embarrass yourself. You offered to learn formalities from him. I doubt you could lose his favor at this point."

Jim grinned, and they both walked towards the Forge.

* * *

 **I know that Usurna knows about atomic bombs, but she's a spy for Gunmar that wants to take over the world. Blinky has no business knowing about human weapons.**


	12. Real Talk

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters is owned by Guillermo del Toro.**

 **Well, I did say that I would be updating more quickly this time. Hopefully, I'll be able to keep this up over the break.**

* * *

The Forge was currently inactive, though Jim's entire pack minus Blinky was standing at the sideline, watching him and Claire. Vendel was watching from the stands, but Jim was able to mostly disregard his presence. Blinky was off getting something for Jim to put Nightfall in when he wasn't using it.

"The most important thing that you can learn about the armor right now is how to make it listen to you." Jim was circling Claire, who had Daylight out and in the opening stance he had taught her. "There isn't some sensation or special way to do this, you need to just force it to listen to you."

Without warning Jim swept out with Nightfall. He still marveled at its novelty, the beautiful grooves and shape. Claire ducked under it, and if he had time, he would've nodded approvingly. She learned that he was too strong to simply block.

Claire jumped away from him and rolled, throwing Daylight at him end over end. He simply allowed it to hit him, as the spin only drove its hilt into his shoulder before it bounced off. Claire had the grace to look sheepish before Jim lunged at her. Claire sprang to the side, managing to summon Daylight back to her hand and take a swing at him. Jim took a small step to the side, putting a foot on Daylight when it swung past him and pressing down to lodge it in the ground. He casually raised Nightfall to point at her neck.

Claire stilled, then sighed. Jim stepped off Daylight, spinning Nightfall so he was holding it in an icepick grip, pressing it against the back of his arm. "Not really what I meant, but the re-summoning was good. We'll work on your throws later, but for now, try and stick with what you know."

"What did you mean then?" Claire blew a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"Try forcing Daylight into your other hand without dismissing it first." Claire got a frown on her face before she held both her arms out straight. She glared down at her amulet, screwing up her face as she tried to do as he instructed.

Jim looked over to the other humans standing to the side and beckoned to them. Nervously, his eyes flicked to the stands, where he saw Vendel tilt his head curiously. When Darci, Mary, and Toby were in front of him, he frowned. "So, the first thing that we need with the three of you is weapons of your own. It's the only way that you'll be helpful in the midst of action. Any preferences?"

"I'd totally take a pair of daggers!" Mary seemed excited for once. She actually put away her phone.

Jim winced. Dual-wielding was something he had little experience with, preferring instead to use his daggers as throwing weapons while Daylight was his main weapon. Well, Eclipse now. "Alright, I'll try to work something out there." He looked to Darci.

She seemed to be considering something. "What weapons use your opponent's weight against them?"

Oh. That was smart. Jim thought for a moment, before nodding. "A spear. Not the throwing kind, but you could certainly do that with it. Wouldn't be the best thing to do in the midst of combat, though. It won't come back to you like hers."

Darci nodded. Toby stepped forward next, and Jim redirected his attention on him. "And Toby what do you want?"

"What do you mean? You already know what I want, J-" Darci elbowed him. "I mean, Tarmek." Saying Jim's new name made him realize something else. "Oh, right, it's not like you and I have met before, you're only just now meeting me, heh heh, yeah, well, uh, I want a warhammer."

Jim covered his face with the hand not occupied by Nightfall and sighed. He thought that the only one he would have to worry about blowing his cover was him, not the other humans too. "Alright, Toby, I'll get something for you too."

"I got it!" Claire's shout would have startled him if he hadn't felt her triumph through their soul bond a second ago. Turning around, he watched her pleased smirk as light traveled through her armor from hand to hand, Daylight appearing, disappearing, and reappearing. Jim grinned back at her, happy that she had gotten it so quickly. It hadn't taken him long either, but you tended to speed things up when pinned to a wall by a troll.

"Very good. Since strength is not something that you can compete with, you will have to rely on strategy and surprise. Catching your opponent off guard is the only way that you'll win." Jim got down into a different ready stance than he had taught Claire, one foot slightly forward, bent down, and with his sword diagonally across his chest. "Surprise me."

Claire needed no further prompting before she launched herself at him. Jim narrowed his eyes before raising his sword to block Daylight arcing down at him, only for it to disappear just before it hit his sword. The half-troll grinned to himself, leaping back and giving a subtle nod to Blinky to start up the Forge. As he landed, the gears beneath the arena started grinding, making Claire groan. "Really?"

"You need to make sure that your opponent doesn't catch you off guard!" He shouted down at her as a platform lifted him from the floor. Claire glared at him, and he could feel the annoyance through the bond. As the floor beneath her began to move, she rocked on her feet for a bit before regaining her balance. Jim grinned before he used the turning motion of his own platform to propel him on to hers.

Her eyes widened, and her panic lanced through him, making him falter long enough for her to throw herself to the side. Jim frowned to himself, before slapping the airborne Daylight to the side before it could hit him. An instant later, Claire was leaping at him, but he was able to simply duck under her slash before slamming a fist into her stomach, throwing her back onto unmoving ground. Before she could move, Jim jumped on top of her pinning her to the ground.

He stared into Claire's eyes, doing his best to ignore her discomfort through the bond. Sighing, he stood up, offering a hand to help her up too. She groaned, flopping her arms to the sides. "No thanks," she panted. "I'll just lay here for a second."

Jim snorted before handing her Nightfall, making sure she was holding it away from him and then scooping her into his arms. The Forge's gears stopped turning, and everything folded back into the walls and ground. Looking up, Jim met Blinky's eyes as he walked in and did his best to convey that they needed to talk. He made his way over to them, seeing Vendel nod to himself in the stands before disappearing.

"Well, we have a slight problem." He started with, laying Claire down gently on AAARRRGGHH!'s hand. Blinky handed him something that he recognized as a hip sheath that was little more than a leather loop.

"And what would that be? She did gloriously for her first time against someone such as you!"

"I can't fight her."

Everyone gave him a look. Darci cleared her throat. "Uh, you kinda just did."

"Yeah, and you kicked my butt," Claire piped up.

"And it was beyond uncomfortable for me. I can feel your pain, remember? It's not fun for me, especially when I know I'm causing it."

Blinky nodded. "Understandable. Unfortunately, we don't have an alternative. For now, though, we can be finished with physical training, if you so wish it Lady Claire."

"I definitely wish it."

"Then we will make our egress to my library, and Tarmek will go to the Heartstone for his first etiquette lesson with Vendel."

AAARRRGGHH! cocked his head. "Egress?"

"It means to exit, my giant compatriot. Come, and let Lady Claire stand on her own. It would not do to pamper her."

Claire groaned, but got on her feet anyways. When the group split in the market, they all waved goodbye to Jim for the day.

Jim, on the other hand, made his way inside the Heartstone. Upon seeing him, the guards in front of the entrance crossed their halberds, motioning for him to put his sword on a nearby table. Once he complied, they nodded to him, raising their halberds and allowing him to enter. Once safely inside, Jim simply looked around and smiled.

Everything had happened so fast in his timeline; Gunmar's takeover of Trollmarket, the death of the Heartstone, the Eternal Night. He had nearly forgotten what it was like to be in here, listening to Vendel about his performance every once in a while. While he and the cantankerous elder were never close, he still missed him when he was gone. Especially when it came to controlling the troll refugees.

" **Ah, Tarmek. Welcome to the Heartstone."** Vendel, hunched over his desk, greeted Jim in trollish. His gigantic hands were spread out across its surface, and he was focused on something between them. **"Come, stand before me."**

Complying, Jim reflected over how different this Vendel already was to him. He actually had a chance here, or so it seemed. He was determined not to screw this up. **"Thank you for agreeing to teach me, elder."**

Vendel was silent for a moment, regarding a half-cut geode on his desk before he pushed himself up. Grabbing his staff from where it was leaning against the desk, he used it to help him move around the stone furniture, so he could examine the half-troll's face. His foggy eyes narrowed briefly before he leaned back. **"You know, when Blinkous said that he had brought in someone closer to a human shape to train the Trollhunter, I was afraid that one of those wretched Huldufólk had finally wormed their way into our hallowed cavern. Imagine my surprise when I beheld an adolescent half-Jotun instead."**

Ah, right. Vendel the Observant, they should have called him. Jim sucked in a breath before replying, **"You know what I am?"**

" **Unlike most trolls, I have actually met your people. Well, I find it doubtful that you have ever met them, given your lack of markings. But I digress. Now, imagine how much more surprised I was that not only was a child of the rarest kind of troll was in front of me, but he holds an amulet of Merlin. Typically, I would say 'the,' but your existence seems to make the use of it inaccurate."**

Jim blinked. **"How did you-"**

The elder snorted. **"You don't live as long as I do around as many Trollhunters as I have without getting to know that magic signature. It is unique. Now, please do enlighten me as to how this is possible."**

Jim sighed, bringing a hand up to cover his face. "Shit."

Vendel thumped his staff against the ground, an amused glint in his eyes. **"Indeed."**

Jim let his hand fall and after a brief contemplation of what he should do, he decided to just tell him the truth. **"Time travel."**

Vendel raised one of his hands to stroke his goatee. **"Possible, but unlikely. Recorded time travel only overrides your younger soul, it doesn't bring back items. However, magic, especially that which deals with time, is capricious at best. What is your proof?"**

Jim pulled up his shirt until the amulet embedded in his chest was exposed.

Vendel seemed taken aback. **"The amulet is fused to you?"**

He nodded. **"It's my Heartstone."**

Vendel's eyebrows raised. **"And why would you need the amulet to act as your Heartstone? Did something happen to yours?"**

" **Uh… I kind of didn't have one?" Jim nervously gripped a horn.**

" **Put your hand down. How would a troll function without a Heartstone?"**

" **Because I wasn't originally a troll? And I'm technically still not entirely one?"**

" **Stop phrasing your answers as questions."** At Jim's incredulous look, the elder thumped his staff against the ground again. **"You came to me to learn troll etiquette. I will teach you it, and you will learn. Do you understand?"**

Jim sighed, but nodded his assent. **"Yes, elder."**

" **If you were not originally a troll, then what were you?"**

Jim almost answered with another questioning lilt but managed to keep himself from it. In English, he said, "The first human Trollhunter."

Vendel blinked at him. Then sighed. Moving back behind his desk, he pulled out a box full of differently colored and shaped crystals. "This is far more complicated than I originally imagined. Perhaps you should simply tell your story from the beginning, and I will listen. If I do not understand something, I will ask you to clarify. Other than that, I will not interrupt. Now come, whelp, and tell me your tale." He pulled out a pink-gray crystal, setting it on the table and letting his hand lay upon it for a moment to make it glow.

* * *

Interestingly enough, Vendel did not ask him to clarify anything throughout his tale. His expression gave nothing away, and the only way Jim could tell that he was even listening was when his hands would clench around his staff at particularly surprising events. When he was finally done, he looked up to Vendel, carefully gauging the situation.

His eyes narrowed at Jim. "Angor Rot came to your aid?"

He nodded. "Yes, elder."

"Intriguing. I had marked him down as a lost cause long ago. It is too bad that I do not know the location of the Inferna Copula any longer, I would get it back to him if I thought that he could be redeemed." The old troll quieted for a moment before he laid a hand on top of the crystal that he had pulled out, ceasing its glow. "Another mistake for the list. I will learn."

All his attention refocused on Jim. "This is an interesting turn of events. Never had we even contemplated the existence of multiple Trollhunters, or even a hybrid of human and troll. Changelings, certainly, but they switch between forms. You, on the other hand…"

He turned around, contemplating something. "Human biology powered by troll animation magic. No wonder you were able to kill Gunmar. I hesitate to think of anything short of other Jotuns or Krubera than can physically match you, and you are but a child. Merlin's return, on the other hand, is utterly unsurprising. The wizard always did have a contingency plan. Morgana being imprisoned under our feet the entire time, though, is fascinating indeed."

After another moment, Vendel turned back to Jim. "You have given me much to think about. I will need some time to sort out everything you've told me; in the meantime, please don't tell your adopted family about this. Watching them scramble to cover up things they think I do not already know has become a favorite pastime of mine." He made a shooing motion towards the door. "When I am ready to speak to you again, I will summon you."

Jim inclined his head in a respectful bow before making an egress of his own.

He was only slightly surprised to find the library empty upon finding it. Seeing a note out of the corner of his eye, Jim picked it up. Apparently Blinky had taken the others to Nuri for weapons. That was fine, he had some reading to do.

The half-troll knew the library well. Other than the Hero's Forge, he spent almost all his time in Trollmarket there back when he was human. As such, he knew where the history section was. It was about time he got around to what he never did last time.

He grabbed the first three volumes of A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore and settled in one of the alcoves in the wall to read.

* * *

"Well, you haven't been here for a while."

Jim blinked and looked up. Morgana floated above him, floating above him in the 'draw me like one of your French girls' position. "Wait, when did I fall asleep?" he realized that he was laying flat on the ground, but he was in no hurry to get up.

"What were you doing that you wouldn't have even noticed yourself drifting off?"

"Reading A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore." He thought for a second. "I think I was halfway through volume three."

Morgana huffed. "No wonder. Bedehilde was quite the magnificent storyteller, but there were many things even he could not make exciting." She lifted her chin, regarding him with slight disdain. "A more pressing matter, though: why haven't you been here? Have you been avoiding me again?"

"What? No, I'm in Trollmarket now. I don't have to sleep as often because of the Heartstone." Jim stretched out his arms above his head before leaning back on them.

"Hmph. I thought so. I haven't been able to see anything in a while."

"What do you mean?"

"If I concentrate hard enough, I can see out of the amulet when the armor is activated. I imagine it will be my only source of amusement when you are not here for quite some time; at least, until you decide to release me."

" _If_ I decide to release you. You tried to kill us all, remember?" Jim sat up and pulled his knees up to his chest.

"Yes, and look where that got me. Imprisoned back in a crystal, fully aware of everything that happens around me but powerless to affect any of it. It's a nightmare. At this point, I do not care for power; I only want freedom." She dropped down next to him as she finished talking. After a moment of regarding him, she leaned into him.

Jim looked down at her questioningly. "What are you doing?"

"It's been so long since I've felt the heat of another living person. It's more comfortable than I remember." She poked a finger into his arm. "Even if their skin is more stone than flesh."

"I thought I was just a filthy tark."

She waved her hand around. "Heat of the moment. Being trapped once more in your prison for centuries does quite a bit for your temper."

The half-troll shrugged mentally. As long as she wasn't trying to seduce him or anything weird, he didn't care. While she was a seemingly immortal evil witch, Morgana was human too. Treating her like a decent human being would probably do wonders for reforming her. Talking to her like a normal human would probably be good too.

"What do you know of the Old World?"

"Plenty. The most important thing to know is to avoid the Ettins. They're less of cannibals as the trolls believe, and more of arcanovores." At Jim's questioning look, she rolled her eyes. "They eat anything magic they can get their hands on. The amulet would probably be enough of a meal to keep Glorrk fed for years."

"Glorrk?"

"Their leader." Jim could've sworn that Morgana shivered. "The eldest of them and by far the most disgusting. Nine heads, until Gunmar cut off three of them in his escape. Odd, spider-like appendages coated in slime coming from his back as well. His whole body was covered in fur, and he smelled terrible even by Gumm-Gumm standards. Don't underestimate him, though. He killed seven Gumm-Gumms with one blow and drank their essence from the air."

"He did what?"

"The Ettins are interesting creatures. Not entirely trolls after the magic they eat warps them. Some, like Glorrk, are fortunate enough to gain special abilities and beneficial mutations. Others die horribly. Which is good, as it keeps them in check."

"Ah." They both stayed silent for a moment longer, Jim thinking and Morgana nestling further into him. Jim drew in a breath before he asked the question truly on his mind. "What about the Jotuns?"

Morgana drew away from him, propping herself up on her own arm. She contemplated his question for a moment, looking off into the gray expanse before them. "I haven't the foggiest."

"Really?" He couldn't hide the disappointment in his tone.

"Unfortunately. Jotunheim is warded against magic users like me. The only thing I ever learned from it was that there is a source of power somewhere in it larger than anything I have ever seen or even imagined possible before. Neither I nor Merlin ever learned what it was."

Jim remained silent for a moment before he cast his attention to the gray nothing around them. After a brief moment of concentration, he was able to transform it into the night sky.

Morgana gazed at it, frowning. "Where are all the stars?"

"Oh, right. Pollution. Lighting up cities with electricity all the time kind of stopped us from being able to see the dimmer stars."

"Only the dimmer stars? Practically all of them are gone!" Morgana concentrated for a moment before the sky that he had created changed drastically. It became awash with red, blue, and green light, millions of stars filling the expanses between. "There. That is the proper night sky."

The half-troll didn't respond. He simply stared into the beauty that he had never known existed.

After a moment, Jim sighed. The current night sky was actually more advantageous for trolls; less light that the humans can see them in. Still, though, he would have much preferred the night that Morgana knew to the night that he knew.

Before he could give Morgana his gratitude, though, everything disappeared in a white light.

* * *

"-m? You awake br-" In a brief moment of panic Jim accidentally launched his best friend into the air.

Thankfully, AAARRRGGHH! caught him, but that didn't stop him apologizing profusely. "Toby, I'm so sorry-"

"Nah, dude, it's cool!" Toby put up a thumb from his position in AAARRRGGH!'s hand. "Probably should've been more careful waking you up. Let sleeping trolls lie, huh?"

Jim snorted at his attempt at a joke, while the other three humans groaned. "When did you guys get back?"

"Mere moments ago, Master Jim. I am surprised that you required rest so soon after coming into contact with the Heartstone. Are you not correctly absorbing its energy? I will have to take you to a healer. Come now, we can postpone the lesson until after you get treatment." Blinky seemed worried, picking up Jim's arms and examining him as he spoke.

"No, Blinky, I'm fine, I probably just need more rest because I'm not entirely a troll."

"You should have been able to go more time without needing rest!"

AAARRRGGH! rumbled with amusement as he walked up behind him. "Jim young, Blinky. Needs sleep." He affectionately rubbed his cheek against Jim's, which the half-troll happily reciprocated, crooning. Blinky sighed, but butted his horns against Jim's, conceding the point.

"Well, we know who the mom friend of the group is now," Mary said. "I always thought that was you, Darci."

"Oh no. I am not being out-mommed by a troll!"

Then Toby piped up. "You guys know that in troll terms, he literally is Jim's dad, right?"

The other three spun to him. "What?" Claire's voice was incredulous.

AAARRRGGHH! ambled over behind Mary. "We are family," he said. "Jim is part of that."

"What about us?" asked Mary. Darci elbowed her, and Mary scowled at her. "What? I want to be able to threaten boyfriends with a troll family ready to pummel them if they break my heart!"

"I'm afraid troll family units are a bit more complicated than that. If a troll has no family, many others will line up to take care of the child, both out of a sense of honor and knowing that more heirs means more glory. But, ah, no offense intended for you four, but AAARRRGGHH! and I have not shared enough time or experience with you to consider that at this point." Blinky and Jim walked up to all of them, joining in now that Jim was really awake. Jim jumped onto the table next to Claire that Toby was leaning on, landing in a deep crouch and remaining in the position.

"But you only learned about Jim's existence a few days ago." Claire was confused, as Jim could feel across the bond.

"That is different. Not only is he a troll lacking a family unit, he already has a profound connection to me, even if I do not have one with him yet. While I was not ready for a son, I am not against finally having an heir of my own."

Darci raised her hand. The six-eyed troll blinked at her for a moment. She put her hand down and cleared her throat, a tinge of red crossing her cheeks. "What does that make AAARRRGGHH!?"

"AAARRRGGHH! and I are partners. You may translate that however you will, it is most likely correct. To Jim, he is a combination of a brother and what you would call an uncle."

Jim sat back, letting his legs slip out from under him and hang over the edge of the table. "Huh." They all gave him a questioning glance. The half-troll shrugged, swinging his legs. "Just didn't know what to call him until now. It does kind of fit the relationship."

"Speaking of relationships, how was your lesson with Vendel?" asked Blinky.

"Uh…" Jim struggled for a moment to come up with a believable lie. "It went fine. He told me that he would call me back soon to get a lesson schedule going."

Claire narrowed her eyes at him, but Blinky clapped his hands. "Splendid! Perhaps Vendel has finally let down his walls. What did you learn from this particular experience with our elder?"

"Uh, nothing really groundbreaking. Just don't touch your hands and don't phrase your answers as questions."

"You actually went through with the lessons? I thought that was a courtesy offer. Why would you even need troll etiquette lessons?" Claire raised her eyebrows at him. Guilt welled up within him, as he realized he still hadn't told her why he needed etiquette lessons. He could tell the exact moment when she felt it, because she narrowed her eyes and crossed her arms at him. "What? What did you do?"

"Less what I've done and more what I will do." The annoyance flaring across their bond wasn't making it any easier for him.

"What will you do, then?"

Jim sighed and turned to the other occupants. "Can you guys give us a couple minutes alone?" Only once they had left the room with weird looks from Darci and Mary did he continue. "I'm not staying in Arcadia."

"What?"

"After you beat Draal, I'm going to Europe."

"What? But why? We need you here, there's so much you have to do, and we still need your help!" Claire was getting angry with him, but she was also getting scared. Jim understood completely, but he still had to go through with his plan.

"I can do so much more if I go out into the world and try to bring all trolls back together. Plus, I can grab Angor Rot in the process, and build us up a sizeable military if we ever need it. I won't be gone forever, and I'll have my phone with me at all times."

"What about the changelings? And Bular? And the bridge? You can't just leave us to deal with everything!" She was yelling now, getting in his face. Jim was doing the best he could to repress his own anger, and the only reason he succeeded was because of the Heartstone's influence.

"But this way, you'll get the trolls to respect you. I've already got an idea about the changelings, and I have complete confidence in your abilities to take on Bular. You are no damsel, Claire."

Claire glared at him for a moment before turning away from him, crossing her arms and muttering something so lowly that even he couldn't hear it. "What was that? I couldn't hear you, Claire."

"You'd just leave me here? After we just started… something?" The half-troll sighed again before he got down a knee behind Claire so he could be level with her.

"Look at me." For a moment, she refused to comply, her arms tensing. "Please?"

She turned to him, exposing her eyes, glistening with unshed tears. Jim swiftly pulled her into a hug, his body enveloping her own. She wrapped her own arms around his neck, burying her face in the junction between his shoulder and neck. "I will never leave you, Claire. Not unless you want me to. And even then, there's a pretty good chance I still won't. We don't have to break up, because I will becoming back hopefully as soon as you have the bridge. Then we'll all go into the Darklands together, kick Gunmar's ass, and we'll all live happily ever after. Alright?"

He felt her nod into his shoulder, but she only tightened her grip on him. "I don't want to lose you. I just found you."

Jim pulled away from her so he could look her in the eyes. "You won't. I promise I will come back to you. Okay?"

She nodded, then looked down shyly. When she looked back into his eyes, she hesitated for a brief moment before situating her hands in his hair and pulling him into a tender kiss. Jim did his best to reciprocate without hurting her. When they pulled away, Claire was a little breathless and leaned into him. "You better," she said. "Or else you won't get any more of that."

Jim laughed, standing up again. "I'll keep that in mind." He wasn't lying. About most things. He'd do his best to hurry back to her as soon as they had the bridge. And he most definitely wanted to continue his relationship with her.

The Darklands; well, Jim had killed a fully-powered Gunmar. No reason to drag his friends into that hellhole for a half-powered one that would take minimal effort to finish off. There was also no reason to let his friends know about that particular plan, though. Or say it out loud so that the Council of Elder Trollhunters could tell Claire when they finally talked to her.

He snorted when everyone else walked back in, but it was more over a quote from Benjamin Franklin. Three can keep a secret, if two of them are dead. He had obviously never been to the void.


	13. Reluctant Grandpa

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters is owned by Guillermo del Toro.**

 **So it turns out that when I have time I write. A lot. And that leads to me writing over five thousand words in a day.**

 **A gift for you, my loyal and faithful followers.**

* * *

Nightfall flashed forwards in a blur of black steel and red light, cutting a sizable chip out of the axe blade it came into contact with.

Jim immediately flipped backwards into the air, landing a good distance away from his opponent. Draal snarled at him, tossing away his axe and slamming his palms into the ground in preparation for what was likely a rolling charge. Jim prepared for such, minutely changing his stance so that he would be able to smack Draal aside with the flat of his blade when he came close.

As predicted, the larger blue troll curled into a ball and rolled towards Jim. The half-troll immediately prepared to strike against him, drawing his sword to the side for a wind up.

What he did not predict was Draal uncurling a few yards away and launching himself at Jim with his arms outstretched.

Jim ducked as quickly as he could, lashing out with an elbow when Draal sailed over him. Air exploded out of the troll's lungs, and he crashed behind Jim instead of landing as he intended. Before he could push himself up to continue the fight, Jim had his sword at the troll's throat.

Draal simply sighed. "I concede." Jim grinned at him, sheathing his sword at his side. It still felt weird, but he needed it to seem natural. Most swords didn't attach to your back without the need of a sheath. He held out a hand to help Draal up.

Taking it, the troll asked, "I thought I had you with that jump, Tarmek. How did you get around that?"

"You didn't take my size into account. It was pretty easy to slip under you."

"I do take your size into account. Which is why I'm constantly surprised at how strong you are. No troll your size should be able to throw an elbow that hard." Draal rubbed at his upper chest, presumably where his strike had connected.

Grinning sheepishly at him, Jim took a second to survey the area. Apparently only the Trollhunter was allowed to train in the Hero's Forge. Draal was allowed to maintain it, but not use it. It seemed stupid to Jim, but then again, a lot of things about troll culture seemed that way to him.

In lieu of the Hero's forge, they trained in one of the public grounds available to the guard and civilians who needed to settle a dispute. As such, they had drawn a sizable crowd. Many of them were openly gawking at Jim, and for once not in a 'why is there a fleshbag in my city' way like it used to be. Now it was more of an admirable, 'our best warrior just got the shit beaten out of him by this guy' gawking. Not entirely unwelcome, but still unnerving. Jim was never one to seek attention; usually, he would run in the opposite direction of it. It wasn't his fault the universe didn't let him actually escape it like he wanted to.

From the crowd, one of the guards approached. "Vendel requests your presence, Tarmek."

Jim nodded, looking over to Draal. "Same time tomorrow?"

The blue troll held a thumbs up. Jim nodded, turning to make his way to the Heartstone, but stopped when Draal cleared his throat. He rubbed the back of his neck before saying, "Listen, uh, if you want to come later, I'll be in the Pub. They serve the best grog in Trollmarket, so if you want to swing by, it'd be amusing to hear some stories of outside."

Jim grinned. "I'd love some grog. Never actually tried it before."

Every troll around them in earshot gaped at him before bursting into furious whispers. Draal stared at him in what looked to be horror. "You've never had grog?" he whispered.

"Uh, no. Didn't grow up in a place that had it available."

"Right." The troll drew himself up and walked close enough to clap him on the shoulder. "Later tonight, you are coming to the Pub, and you will learn of the wonders of grog, the greatest invention of trollkind."

Laughing, Jim said, "I look forward to it. I'll be there once I get away from Vendel!"

The half-troll was very glad that the Heartstone was so large. It meant that it was easy to get to, which was useful, because he had no idea where most of the things in Trollmarket were. However, it was also foreboding when one was summoned to it; ironic given the feelings it inspired in those with a heartstone.

Nevertheless, Jim had been anticipating this for the past two days. Vendel apparently took very long amounts of time to mull things over, and the wait was nearly worse than the butterflies he felt now. At least it would be over soon.

As he approached the Heartstone, he put Nightfall where the guards had motioned last time and nodded to them as they let him through. Walking in, he saw Vendel behind the table, waiting for him.

" **Ah, Tarmek. You are punctual. That is good."** He made a 'come hither motion with his hand. **"We have much to discuss."**

Jim nervously settled in front of the table, where he could clearly see Vendel. The butterflies in his stomach had lessened somewhat since he had not been immediately taken into custody by the guards outside, but this could still be a trap. The elder could have just as easily summoned all the guards only once he had gotten here, leaving him surrounded.

The first thing Vendel did was pick up a crystal and put it on the table. It took a moment, but Jim was able to recognize it as the crystal that had revealed Usurna's betrayal when she stabbed Vendel. The elder was cautious too, then. Jim didn't know whether that was a good or bad thing.

" **I have decided to accept you only if the Council of Elder Trollhunters approves of you. We will travel to the Soothscryer and see if you are able to retrieve your arm from it."**

Nodding Jim said, **"That is wise. I have already been in the void once since my travel. It should not be too difficult to replicate."**

They both exited the Heartstone, Vendel motioning for the guards to not follow them. Jim noticed that he still held the crystal in one hand, and in lieu of his staff, he was resting a hand on Jim's shoulder. Smart, restricting his movement in case he tried to fight back.

" **And what was your opinion?"**

" **They're a bunch of stuck-up assholes. Except Deya. She apparently thinks I'm amusing.'**

" **Intriguing."** Jim looked back at Vendel, a question in his gaze. **"That was almost exactly how Deya described them when she first entered the Soothscryer."**

The half-troll snorted with laughter.

* * *

" _It is good that you have returned. We have much to discuss,"_ The ghost of Kanjigar said.

"Uh-uh. I have a limit of one person a day saying that."

Kanjigar rolled his eyes. _"Must you be so complicated?"_

" _Abomination."_

" _He mocks us."_

" _We should take off his arm."_

The Eclipse armor spread across Jim's body, the blade itself appearing in his hand. He leisurely held it to the side. "Try it and see what happens.

" _My compatriots, there is no need to fight."_ A ball of light phased out of Deya's statue, floating down to the ground in front of Jim. It slowly manifested into the ghost of Deya the Deliverer. _"He simply needs different advice than the other Trollhunters."_

The other ghosts weren't exactly pleased that Deya would be taking over, if the few words he actually picked up from the chorus of voices meant anything. Kanjigar also stubbornly stayed where he was, but he didn't seem angry. Rather, he was just curious.

"So, what is it that you guys want?" Jim planted Eclipse into the ground, casually leaning on it.

" _Last time, we were unable to speak to you about the Pale Lady."_ Kanjigar eyed him warily, while Deya came a bit closer to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. When she noticed him tensing, she sighed, but removed her hand and floated away.

" _We do not deny that you probably know more of her personally than we do, but this is the sorceress who in your own words brought about the Eternal Night in the future, enslaved Angor Rot, and possessed your own mate. Can you really put any trust in her?"_

Jim stood up straight, narrowing his eyes at the two Trollhunters in front of him. "What do you know of the human psyche?" He phrased it as a genuine question, even though it was entirely rhetorical in nature.

Deya seemed to know that, putting a hand to her face. _"Nothing."_ She sounded defeated, so he knew she likely knew where this was going.

"Exactly. I, on the other hand, know quite a bit about. I cared for my mother for years, and that included her mental state. I have studied the human psyche as extensively as I possibly could. I know how to deal with a human, which Morgana is, despite what anyone else might say. Beyond the creation of changelings, what atrocities did she commit in the original war with the Gumm-Gumms? How many trolls can you say with absolute certainty that she killed?"

The two Trollhunters manifested in front of him, but the Trollhunters above were extremely displeased.

" _She's a witch!"_

" _She doesn't deserve courtesy."_

" _She stole our children!"_

"Children that you then condemned for something that wasn't their fault! All of your racism and hatred for the changelings comes from something that they had absolutely no control over! You have no right at all to get angry at her for creating the changelings when it was you that turned them against you!"

" _You dare-"_

" _Abominations, all of them!"_

" _Filthy tark!"_

Kanjigar roared with such strength that the room shook around them. Jim quirked an eye, curious. He had never seen infighting among them. _"You would dare to use that word around me?! I do not care how bold you are, Boraz, I will kick you so hard in the gronk-nuks that it will take decades before you can show your face here again!"_

Jim snorted. "I think that's my cue to leave," he whispered to Deya.

She nodded. _"Have fun out there, Jim. You provide an endless source of amusement for us. Well, me at least."_

* * *

The first thing he saw when he reappeared was Vendel looking down at him. He quickly put both of his arms in view, assuring the elder that he had not lost either. The goat-like troll nodded, then regarded him curiously. **"Black and red,"** he mused. **"Interesting. No troll has worn red armor since Tellad-Urr the Terrible."**

" **I don't know that name."** Jim got up and dusted himself off.

" **It is in A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore. He was the only Trollhunter to use the amulet for evil, though he did not begin that way. That was back when my grandfather was the leader of his own troll city, with a purple Heartstone resting in its ceiling."**

The half-troll remained silent. The longer he contemplated the amulet's choices, the more he wondered about what Merlin once told him. That the amulet didn't make mistakes. It was beginning to seem more and more like it did.

" **Of course, in those days Orlagk still ruled the Gumm-Gumms and fleshbags were still considered to be a delicacy. He died one year and five centuries after the death of Jesus of Nazareth. You call that the beginning of the common era, correct?"**

" **Yeah."**

" **Yes. Respond concisely, without jargon."**

" **Yes."**

Vendel sighed and switched to English. "Well, I suppose I cannot dispute the judgement of the former Trollhunters. Though I believe it would be better if you were not to reveal yourself as a second Trollhunter to Trollmarket. That could invalidate our current one, and I get the feeling that you do not wish that."

"That would not be good, no. Especially since I'm leaving once her fight with Draal is over."

"Really? And why is that?"

"I'm going to get support from the Old World." Vendel stilled in front of him, so Jim stopped with him. "What?"

"From how you've handled yourself so far, I was assured that you would be the next Deya. That, however, makes me seriously question your competence. There is nothing there worth getting support from. The troll tribes there are scattered, at least the ones that would be useful."

"How do you know that? Blinky told me it's been centuries since you've had contact with them. The situation could have changed completely."

"I am the elder of Trollmarket. It is my job to know all possible threats and keep tabs on them. The fact that there is a Janus Order that we have missed for centuries is highly disturbing to me, but I have not been lax in my duties watching for threats from the Old World. I know everything that I need to know about what is happening there, and I have no desire to involve Trollmarket at all."

"Then I won't involve Trollmarket. But the troll world needs to become more unified."

"You want to find Angor Rot." Vendel stared at him for a brief second longer. "And you want to find where your troll half comes from."

Jim stayed silent.

Vendel sighed, motioning for Jim to lead him back to the Heartstone. After letting the Eclipse armor recede into the amulet, Jim waited for Vendel to put his hand on his shoulder so he could guide them back. Neither spoke on the way there, not wanting the other trolls to overhear their conversation. Once they had safely passed inside, though, Vendel's hand left Jim's shoulder.

" **I won't deny that there is a certain benefit to becoming allies with the trolls of the Old World. There are many resources that originate there that cannot be found here. But going there…"** Vendel put the crystal down on the table, resting his hands on it. **"It's tantamount to suicide."**

" **Why?"** Nothing that Vendel could say would stop him from going, but it was always good to know about potential threats.

" **The Huldufólk, mostly. The vermin have taken over three different troll cities under what you call Germany since we left. They are not friendly."** He sighed, looking to Jim. **"Not to mention that the guardian told me he activated the stones. That tells me that times will be tumultuous even above ground."**

Vendel had connections to the human world? **"What guardian? What stones?"**

" **You would have no knowledge of either, it would be useless for me to tell you. However, if you are set on going, you will need the name of the guardian. He deals with magical stone that hold power regularly; if anyone knows the location of the Inferna Copula, it would be him."**

" **What is his name?"**

Vendel glared at him, leaving the table to tower over him. **"I have not decided whether to let you go or not yet. Help you here, yes, but if the wrong attention is brought here, it could mean the end of Trollmarket."**

" **A worse end then the death of the Heartstone and the enslavement of more than half its citizens?"** Jim glared right back at him, crossing his arms. His troll instincts told him to back down, and he was nearly shaking in his boots with the way that the elder was leaning over him, but he refused to back down.

A moment of tense silence passed before Vendel moved away, sighing and stroking his goatee. **"I suppose not."**

" **You said yourself that there were benefits to reopening contact."**

" **I did, didn't I?"** Vendel scrutinized him again. **"This was the reason you offered to learn etiquette from me, wasn't it?"**

" **Yes."** Jim held his gaze.

" **Then you are shrewd indeed."** Vendel thought to himself for a moment before he made up his mind. **"You have proven to me that you are at least competent enough to represent Trollmarket, and I am well aware that you are strong enough. I will teach you what you need to know to gain us allies, and what you need to avoid. I trust Blinky is also doing the same?"**

" **He is teaching me the history of the Old World."**

" **Excellent. I will only stick to the now, then. This will take more than one day to learn, however, so you will need to extend the time you stay for at least a week. You will return to me at four a.m. tomorrow for your first lesson and repeat it until you leave. Do you understand?"**

Jim inclined his head in a respectful bow. **"Yes, elder."**

" **Good. And also, a gesture of respect in most of the world would be tilting your head up to expose your neck. Most cultures would take a bow as intent to charge."**

The half-troll nodded. He turned to leave.

" **Wait."** He stopped in his tracks, turning back questioningly. Vendel turned around, grabbing a box off a shelf. When Jim recognized what it was, his eyes widened. **"Before you leave, I would offer you a gift. You have been human your whole life, you are used to the sun."**

Jim's heart nearly stopped. His heart filled with wonder when Vendel opened the box, the many stones inside giving off a slight glow. He gestured to one of them, a stone glowing pure white. **"This stone will you to walk in the daylight once more, for limited periods of time. Consider it a show of good intention."**

There was nothing he could say to express his joy when he carefully picked up the stone from where it rested in the box. Looking up at Vendel, he whispered _**"Thank you."**_ The half-troll took off his shirt with shaking arms. He willed the amulet to open, watching it carefully as he lifted the stone to it. Like a magnet, it was pulled into one of the two empty slots left, briefly lighting up the amulet with a pure white light when it closed. He breathed deeply, feeling the rush of power in a way that he hadn't when he was a human.

" **Because of the nature of the amulet, and by that, I mean its infusion to you, it should even work without the armor summoned. As for how you got it, tell your family that I left you unattended for some time and you found it or something similar. They know that I do not check the stones often, so they should not be alarmed."**

Jim looked him directly in the eyes. "You have no idea how much this means to me, Vendel. I can't express the gratitude I feel right now."

"You are much more eloquent than your counterpart. Am I correct in assuming that the two of you are mates?"

The half-troll nearly choked on his tongue. He wasn't expecting that from Vendel. The elder was most definitely serious, though, given that he was still waiting for an answer. "Yes," he sighed. "How could you tell?"

"You have your scent all over you. I'm mildly surprised the other trolls haven't figured it out yet, but then again, you do teach her. Perhaps they assume it simply comes from being in such close proximity." The elder leaned on his table again, seeming amused fi the twinkle in his eye was anything to go by. "You may leave now."

Jim tilted his chin up. **"Thank you, elder."** Vendel nodded approvingly.

* * *

"Toby!" Jim whisper-yelled from a tree.

"Jim?! Where are you?" Toby looked around wildly. He was on his way home from school, walking for once. His bike had been dismantled in a tangle with goblins last night. According to Toby, the four humans had tried to get inside the museum so they could get a picture of Killahead bridge but there were two changelings.

Who would've guessed that Gladys and Nomura would be having a girl's night out?

"Up here!" Toby looked up into the trees above him, only to have a mini-heart attack when he saw Jim _in the full sunlight_.

"DUDEWHATTHEHELLYOUREGONNADIEGETDOWNHERE – You're not dying. Why are you not dying?"

"I got the stone from Vendel's place! The one that lets you walk in the light!" Jim's grin was probably terrifying, given from how it was hurting his face. His best friend, however, was not phased in the slightest and grinned as wide as him.

"Dude, that's awesome! But you should probably get down from there so the other humans don't try to kill you thinking the devil has come down to Earth."

Jim shook his head. "Race you back home!" He took off through the trees in the direction of his house.

Toby sighed. There was no way that he could catch him. He sent a quick text to their group chat, telling the other three that Jim was at his mom's house. Then he started pedaling as fast as he could, at least determined to give Jim a run for his money.

Jim closed the backdoor behind him carefully, breathing in the smell of his house. It had been a bit since he had been here, and even though he called his mom and texted her all the time, he had still worried about her constantly.

He was literally under her feet and he still missed her. How sappy was that?

Pulling out his phone, he checked his messages. There was one from Toby telling the others that he was at his mom's house, and that inspired some feeling that he couldn't quite put a name to. It was a subtle pain in his chest, something about the way that it wasn't his house anymore. Just his mom's. He sat down on the couch, still staring at the text and trying to figure out what the feeling was.

There was a burst of happiness from Claire, making him chuckle in spite of his own pain. He fed some of his affection across the bond, getting a feeling of sheepishness from her in response. Getting up from the couch, Jim decided that if he was going to be entertaining visitors, then they would need something to eat.

A minute later, Toby burst in through the front door, wheezing, "Damn, Jimbo, you know I can't keep up – are those the ingredients to Chef Jim's famous seafood-filled salmon filet I hear rattling about?"

"How in the _hell_ did you figure that out by the sound of me grabbing stuff from the fridge?"

"I knew you were probably going to show up back here soon, so I grabbed some ingredients to one of the meals I've been craving lately."

"Am I nothing more than your cook?" Jim said with an air of drama, pressing his hand against his forehead. "A mere slave meant to cater food to your whims?"

"Absolutely. Now get cooking!" They both cackled at each other.

Toby sat at the kitchen counter, sighing. "I kind of wish I didn't tell the others you were back. Now I have to share you."

"Don't you mean my seafood?"

"Nah man, I mean you. It's been too long since we've spent some time together, just the two of us."

Silence permeated the room as Jim dialed up the oven. Eventually, he sighed, dragging a hand across his face. "Yeah, I know. I wish we had more chances, but time is one of the few enemies I can't fight."

Toby snorted. "Ah, well. At least I'm now part of the group of three of the most popular girls in the school. You're the best wingman ever, by the way."

And that hurt almost as much as his text saying that it was his mother's house. Toby didn't know why he had gone silent, and Claire was pushing a concerned feeling through the bond. That name used to be reserved for AAARRRGGHH!, and now, thanks to Jim's interference, there was a chance that they would never be as good of friends as they were in his time. The house fell silent until the door rang.

Toby went to open it. "Hey guys, I hope you brought your appetites, because Chef Jim has returned to the house and he is cookin' up a storm."

Claire pushed past him, immediately going to Jim. The half-troll did not miss the look that Toby gave her and mentally sighed. He did not want to have to deal with drama between his two best friends.

She threw her arms around him. "Jim, I didn't know you were coming back up! How did you get through the sunlight?"

"Oh yeah, I wanted to show you guys that! Everyone to the backyard!"

They all obediently filed through the door. Jim followed them, excitement filling him up. His ears flicked when he heard laughter, and he looked down at Claire. "What?"

"You're like a five-year-old about to show his mom a really cool rock he found."

Jim snorted. "Well, I'm not five, and you guys aren't my mom, but I did find a really cool rock that lets me do _this."_ He stepped into the light.

Claire and Darci immediately yelled for him to get out of the light and panic flooded his soul from the bond. Mary just covered her mouth. After a few seconds, they calmed down enough to gape at him while he and Toby were guffawing. Toby, between wheezes, said, "You guys should've seen your faces!"

Claire walked up to him. He could feel slight indignation, but mostly joy coming from her. "How did you – oh right, that one stone that lets you walk in the light. But how did you get it from Vendel?"

"He finally scrounged up enough time for a lesson but had to leave for a while in the middle of it. It gave me long enough to grab it."

"That's awesome!" Darci held up a fist for him to bump. "You can hang out with us during the day now!"

"Well, not in public, and I'm not sure how long it lasts, but yeah!" he gently bumped her fist back.

They all got back inside, Toby resuming his position at the kitchen table, and the three girls sitting in the table behind the kitchen. Jim mostly ignored their conversation while he was cooking. It was his zone.

Not that he could ever truly be in it again. A good cook can evolve their recipes when they experiment. It was hard to evolve with no sense of taste.

"Hey Jim, what have you learned about the Old World?" Ah. Claire must have noticed his inner turmoil, given how she was trying to redirect his attention.

"I've learned that the Huldufólk are the main organized power now. They're kind of like changelings, except that they use illusory magic and still eat humans. Blinky called them nasty, deceptive savages clinging to the old ways. Other than them, there are the Gargoyles mostly based in France, which is what Strickler is. You know, when you eventually see his form. Keep in mind that his cape is actually a pair of wings." Pausing for a moment, he put the meal in the oven. "The Gargoyles aren't really organized, though. They're just a bunch of small tribes. Oh, also the Beast of Gévaudan is actually a troll beast. Like the stalklings. Hope and pray that Bular doesn't sic one on you like he did me, those aren't fun."

"Ooh, what trolls are in Greece?" Mary asked.

"Cyclopes. They're actually really smart and have the only example of democracy in the troll world. Well, democracy the way that we understand."

"Ooh! Is Polyphemus real? That'd be so cool!" Mary's chin was resting on her hands as she sated forward dreamily.

Jim quirked an eyebrow. "I didn't know you liked the Odyssey."

"Do _not_ get her started. It's not just the Odyssey, she's obsessed with Percy Jackson too," Darci groaned.

"Hey, Percy Jackson is awesome! Child of Apollo over here!" Toby yelled.

"Yeah! Aphrodite for the win!" Mary yelled back, air-fiving him.

Jim looked to the other two. "What about you guys?"

Claire put up her hand. "Athena. Which Strickler nicknamed me, by the way."

"Yeah, he does have some weird thing for that. I'm Atlas, apparently. You, Darci?"

She groaned, letting her forehead hit the table. "Zeus."

"Is it because you light up my life?" asked Toby, sporting a smug grin. Jim snorted with laughter, while the three girls groaned. Toby high-fived Jim's outstretched hand.

When the three girls had pulled out their homework, Jim leaned onto the kitchen counter, so he could talk to Toby. "Are you and Darci dating? I mean, probably not, you definitely would've texted me if you were."

"Nah, I'm just nailing her with every pick-up line I can find that's not weird or creepy until I eventually win her over."

"Nice." Then he took a deep breath. "Are you and Claire alright? You've been glaring at her since she got here."

"No, yeah, we're good. Don't worry about it, dude."

"Alright, if you say so."

Toby grinned at him. "I say so."

Jim couldn't help himself. He grinned back. "That's what I'm talking about."

Not too long after, dinner was finally ready. They all sat down at the dinner table, homework forgotten in favor of delicious food. Jim had his own slab of raw steak, so he was happy. "So, it turns out I'm actually going to stay for another week."

"What! Are you serious?" Claire's excitement and happiness surged across their bond. It made him even more guilty about leaving, but he knew he had to.

"Yeah. Which means I'll probably be around for when Enrique gets switched for NotEnrique."

All of Claire's happiness disappeared. "I still hate that plan." She sat back in her chair and crossed her arms.

"I know, but there's nowhere Enrique could be that's safer. Plus, if we play our cards right, we could convert some of the changelings early. Which reminds me, I have a plan to get Strickler on our side, but I'm going to need all of you guys' help."

They all gave him their attention, and while Toby was still eating, Jim knew he was also listening. "I need you guys to all get a meeting with him sometime after school, preferably when there aren't any practices, so I can get in easier. We'll corner him in his room, and then I will tell him the truth. The thing with Strickler is that he's not really evil, he's just been mistreated for his whole life. Which has been very long. All the changelings hate Bular anyways, and they only serve Gunmar because they have no other options. We give them more favorable options then serving a tyrannical warlord with anger issues and no regard for the lives of his subordinates, they'll take them."

"You're just going to tell him the truth?" asked Darci. Her voice was incredulous.

"Yeah. I know this guy better than you do, I know how he works. He actually does like his students and humanity as a whole. It's just that he has no choice but to serve Gunmar."

"Okay. So, what do we do with him on our side?" Claire was contemplating it herself, even if she didn't really understand yet.

"He won't directly help you unless you prove that you're the winning side. Kill Bular and promise him peace with the trolls, and he'll probably join your side. Or he'll try to seize power for himself again. Which will be a lot harder, since I'll have Angor Rot with me. Either way, it's a win."

They all nodded. Jim knew that most of what he just said went right over their heads, but that was fine. For now, he didn't need them to understand, he just needed them to trust him.

* * *

 **I'll be using a couple things from the novels, but given the amount of contradictions within them, I'll be taking a few creative liberties.**


	14. Cage Match

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

 **I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving.**

 **Shout out to Forever-Furuba for always reviewing, and thanks to everyone else who also reviews. It's an indescribable feeling, knowing that people actually like your writing.**

* * *

The Pub was an interesting place when everyone wasn't glaring at you like you didn't belong.

There were trolls in all emotional states; crying, laughing, quiet, there was even a bar fight in the corner. Thankfully it was some of the smaller trolls and a couple gnomes, so there wasn't too much damage. Given everyone else's reactions, though, this was relatively normal.

"Ah, Tarmek! There you are!" Draal enthusiastically greeted him.

"Hey, Draal. Yeah, I've been helping the Trollhunter with something. Sorry to keep you waiting." Jim didn't miss the way that Draal momentarily snarled at the mention of the Trollhunter.

"Never mind that. Tonight is to prepare us for the glorious battle tomorrow! Bugan, we'll need another mug of grog over here. This one has never had the sweet taste of grog pass his lips!" The rest of the Pub gasped, all falling silent. Everyone crowded around their table, making Jim extremely uncomfortable. His ears pressed back against his head and he let out a small whine.

Draal noticed his distress and clapped him on the back. "Not to worry, it's a tradition to see how well a troll takes their first gulp. The way you react will tell us what kind of a troll you are!"

The red troll that Jim presumed was Bugan brought him a cup filled with grog, then eagerly waited with the rest of the trolls, watching. Jim felt extremely nervous, glad that Claire was already asleep and wouldn't be affected by what he was about to do. Hesitantly, he brought the cup up to his lips, and before he could apply better judgement to his current actions, took as big of a swig as he could.

He immediately wanted to die.

Despite the burning in his mouth, tongue, throat, and even stomach, Jim stayed resolute. He forced himself to stay in the same casual position as before, even though his muscles tensed beneath his shirt. And then, the most peculiar thing happened. The burning became with a cool, calming sensation, as if he had been drinking a soda instead. The way that it initially burned but was replaced with the cool sensation instead. Jim grinned. "This isn't bad."

The trolls all cheered, slapping his back and congratulating him. Draal laughed, slapping his hand on the table. "A warrior, then! Unsurprising as it may be, congratulations, my friend!"

Jim took another swig before continuing their conversation. "So, this is for tomorrow, huh?"

"It is the ancient tradition of warriors to feast before battle." Draal took another swig of his own glug, shaking his head to dispel its disorienting effects.

"And why is this battle necessary?"

"Because she is not worthy of being the Trollhunter. She is challenging both my honor and the honor of my father."

"So why do you hate her? Because she became the Trollhunter, or because she beat you?"

Draal slammed his glug back on the table, narrowing his eyes at Jim. "It sounds like you are taking her side."

"Is there a reason not to?" Jim took another sip of his own glug.

"She is not a troll! She knows nothing of our people, our customs! She is unfit to be the Trollhunter!" Draal yelled.

"She is more experienced than you might think. Do not forget that I have been training her as well as sparring with you." Jim glared at him. He would not let those he loved be insulted in front of him.

The two stared at each other for a moment. Eventually, Draal sighed. "I don't envy you, Tarmek. It is the nature of teachers to care about their students." Jim snorted. Probably a different kind of care than what he had for Claire. "Tomorrow, you either lose your student or your friend. No matter the outcome, you lose. For that, I am sorry."

"Yeah," he said quietly, getting up from his seat. "Me too."

Leaving the Pub, Jim contemplated their conversation. He was immeasurably glad that he would not lose Draal or Claire. Not to each other, anyways.

 _A statue fell with its arms crossed into a crystal cavern, a smile etched forever on its features._

Jim shook his head, dispelling the image. It wouldn't happen again. Hopefully, he could get away with not having to reawaken Merlin again. Wizards were more trouble than they were worth.

Making his way back to Blinky's library, Jim took a small detour through the market, just to see their wares. Over the past few days, he had gained an enjoyment of watching the trolls interact with each other, especially when bartering in the market. So far, he had not actually bought any merchandise, preferring to leave interacting with society up to Blinky.

A brief snort of amusement came from Jim as he remembered the day before he killed Gunmar. They had said that he was still Jim, but there were too many things that had changed. Once, he had been okay with meeting new people, even if he had been a little introverted. Now, though, he would unconsciously keep out of the arm length of anyone that he did not. He had not spoken to any new trolls, either. Draal and Vendel were already etched into his memories, even if they did not act the same as he remembered.

Finally entering Blinky's library, Jim bypassed the books and headed straight for the trapdoor. It had been a while since he had slept, and although he needed less with the Heartstone, he still needed more than most trolls. Plus, he wanted to talk to Morgana. She was quickly becoming a friend, despite how their relationship had started. She also knew more about the changelings and Gumm-Gumms than anyone.

As Jim descended into the living area of Blinky's library, he noted the deep rumbles of AAARRRGGH! and Blinky's much quieter breaths. When he entered his own room, he unbuckled Nightfall and propped it up against his bed. He sat down on his bed, stripping off his armor before slipping under the covers and closing his eyes.

* * *

"Look who's back."

Jim opened his eyes to Morgana floating directly over him, staring into his eyes. She sighed. "I much preferred it when you were on the surface. I had much more entertainment."

Jim grinned. "Sorry to disappoint you, Milady. I'll be needing more rest soon, though, once I leave for the Old World."

Morgana frowned at him. "I still believe that is a bad idea. You should at least get someone to take with you."

Rolling his eyes, Jim responded, "I'm not letting you out, Morgana. Once we've built up some trust, then I might think about it. Besides, even if I wanted to let you out, I would have to go grab the Staff of Avalon from Merlin's tomb. Which could wake Merlin. Do you really want that?" He sure as hell didn't.

"Not particularly." Morgana dropped next to him, resting her head on his shoulder.

A silence bloomed between them. Not an uncomfortable one, though. A thought eventually occurred to Jim. "Hey, if you wanted someone to talk to every night, couldn't you talk to Claire?"

"If I was capable of reaching out to the amulet bearers in this crystal, don't you think I would have? The amulet is quite literally your heart. That is a very different connection than someone who simply carries the amulet."

"There's no way for you to talk to her while you're trapped?"

"Perhaps if she slept directly underneath me with the armor on, but even then, the probability is low. Besides, I have no interest in the backup."

"She's not a backup, Morgana."

"Really? Then why did the amulet only call for her once it determined that you could not take it? Why is it you that trains her? Which of you killed Gunmar while fighting off Angor Rot, again?"

"She's had the amulet for a week, Morgana, give her some time." Jim sat up, forcing Morgana to raise her head. He picked her up, ignoring her pout, and stood up, setting her down next to him. "Hey, what do you know about Stricklander?"

"The leader of the Janus order? Quite a bit. Are you asking if I can help to get him on your side?"

"Yeah."

"Look at you, manipulating a helpless woman to get what you want. I never thought I'd see the day." Morgana sat back on an elaborate chair she conjured.

Jim rolled his eyes. "We both know you're not helpless, Morgana. But seriously, I would love some help. If I could get him taken care of before I leave, then I would be much happier with the way that things will go here." He conjured a beanbag so that he could recline.

"Then I'm sorry to tell you that there is no way that he will join you. Not yet. He believes that the best thing to do for his people right now is to get Gunmar out of the Darklands, and as you well know, he is very stubborn. He would need a greater reason to come over to your side."

"Like my mom."

"Love is always good at changing people's minds, yes."

They fell silent for another moment. Jim cleared his throat, grabbing a horn nervously. "Uh, this is a really personal question, so you don't have to answer if you don't want to, but is there anyone you ever loved?"

"Hmm." Morgana contemplated the question for a moment. "Not in a healthy way, no."

Jim nodded. He had suspected as much and would not force morgana to relive those memories.

"By the way, is there some way that we can get some warning before-"

Everything turned white.

* * *

"Dammit," Jim sighed when he woke up. Before he got out of his bed all the way, he strapped all of his armor back on. Getting up, he buckled Nightfall back on before leaving his room.

Walking up the stairs into Blinky's library, he was greeted by the other two trolls that lived there.

"Ah, Master Jim! How was your day yesterday? AAARRRGGHH! and I barely saw you." Blinky smiled at him, while the Krubera nuzzled is forehead. Jim made a whine of greeting to him before doing the same with Blinky.

"Yesterday was great. Vendel left me alone long enough for me to grab the Daylight walking stone."

"He left box out?" AAARRRGGHH! rumbled.

"Yeah, but it helped that I knew what it looked like. Does he check it often? I didn't really think about that at first."

Blinky held up his hands, palms up, his equivalent of a shrug. "I do not know. As long as you have left once he discovers its theft, you should be fine. When is your next lesson with him?"

"At four in the morning until I leave."

Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! both glanced at each other before looking back at him. "You'd best be on your way, then, given that it is currently three fifty-five."

Jim blinked. "Oh _shit_." He launched himself out of the library as fast as he could, jumping through the streets to the Heartstone. Several trolls shot him odd looks, but he was less focused on them and more focused on not annoying Vendel for being late.

Outside the Heartstone, he slowed down just enough not to crash into the guards. Swiftly pulling out Nightfall and putting on the table, he nodded to the guards, who pulled up their halberds and let him in.

Once inside, Jim found Vendel in his usual position, hunched over his desk, examining some crystal. **"Elder."** Jim tilted his head up to greet Vendel.

" **Tarmek. Welcome back."** Vendel gestured to the area in front of his desk. Taking his cue, Jim walked up to it and stood there, his hands behind his back. **"You did well in your greeting and waiting for me to summon you to approach. Make sure your hands are in full view as best you can; clasping them behind you makes it seem as if you have a weapon. Leave them by your sides."**

" **Is there a particular stance that I should be in? Humans find it disrespectful if you do not stand up straight in front of them."** Jim made sure to change his stance to accommodate Vendel's remarks.

" **No. The stance that you find respectful will most likely work. It shows that you do not fear them, but you respect them enough to pay attention."** Vendel placed a book on the table. **"Since we do not have much time today due to Draal's challenge, I would like for you to read this. While it is not A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore, it is a brief history of the Old World over the past two centuries. Or at least as much as we can find."**

Jim picked up the book. Compared to A Brief Recapitulation of Troll Lore, it was indeed small. He opened to a random page, taking note of the date on it. 1936. Flipping a few pages later, he noticed how almost the entirety of World War II was skipped. Looking up at Vendel, he was about to ask the question, but the old troll beat him to it. **"The Huldufólk made communication difficult during the war. While their numbers had been decimated in the war with the Gumm-Gumms, they look close enough to human to sometimes be able to pass as them, which made their invasion of other troll cities much easier, since they could masquerade as soldiers. Since then, we have not been able to get any news from areas past Germany."**

The half-troll nodded, closing the book. **"Thank you, elder. I will have this done as soon as possible."**

" **See to it that you do."** Vendel waved his hand, dismissing him.

Jim took the book with him, grabbing Nightfall as he left the Heartstone. He was glad that he was so good at memorizing terrain, since it made it much easier to get back to Blinky's library. The Darklands were useful for something after all.

When he walked in, he was met with the sight of everyone fussing over Claire. Blinky was quizzing her on the three Trollhunter rules, which Claire was answering with an exasperated air.

"Rule number one." Blinky held up a finger.

"Always be afraid."

"Rule number two." Blinky held up two arms, one finger up on each.

"Always finish the fight, but we're disregarding that one, right?"

"For now. Rule number three?"

"When in doubt, kick them in the gronk-nuks."

"Keep in mind that Draal has a blind spot behind him," Jim cut in.

Claire looked up, startled, but Blinky simply nodded. "Indeed. I do believe that you are as prepared for this fight as you can get, Fair Claire."

"And it's thanks to you guys." Claire smiled at them all, her gaze lingering on Jim for a moment. "You know, two weeks ago my biggest worry was a play. I'm still a little shocked as to how fast everything's been happening."

"Yeah, but you've got us, C-Bomb! Not to mention Jimmy-Jam. You definitely have him." Mary smirked at them, laughing a bit at Claire's reddening cheeks.

"Don't worry about this, girl! You've got this. He's just a bigger and stronger Steve made of rocks," Darci added.

"Pretty sure that worrying is the first rule of Trollhunting, but yeah, don't be too afraid. Jim did it, and he was way more of a mess than you are. I believe in you."

Jim shook his head exasperatedly. "Thanks for the vote of confidence there, Tobes."

Toby slapped him on the middle of his back, since that was as high as he could reach. "No worries, Jim, you've got it together now. I'd bet on you over Draal too." He grinned up at his best friend, Jim grinning back at him.

Blinky shook his head. "We shouldn't be wasting our time here. There isn't much time before the fight, so let us make our way towards the Hero's Forge. As the younger, you will be entering from the gate, and as the elder, Draal will be entering from the bridge."

"Let's go, then. This is probably as good as I'm ever going to get, so the least I can do is try and figure out a strategy to use in the arena," Claire said.

Despite her nonchalant demeanor, Jim could feel how nervous she was. Not only nervous, she was terrified. Not that he blamed her. Draal was eight feet of whatever the troll term for muscle was and had centuries of experience fighting. She had been at this for a grand total of about a week.

To try and lift her spirits, he scooped her up and put her on his shoulders. Claire gave a shout of surprise, before instinctually curling around his head and wrapping her legs around his neck. "Hold on," he said, before launching into the air. He ran across the rooftops at a breakneck pace, listening to Claire's breathless laugh and feeling his heart soar. Even if there were times that he hated his new self, he always felt alive when he was feeling the wind part around him. Claire's nervousness burned away at the feelings of excitement that both she and Jim were feeling, and he did his best to fuel that excitement within her.

Only too soon had they reached the Hero's Forge. Both unwilling to part from one another, Jim slowed to a walking speed to get to their area behind the gate. The other trolls looked at him questioningly, and a couple openly glared at Claire on his shoulders, but Jim didn't care. They could think whatever they wanted as long as they left him alone.

When they finally reached their designated spot, Jim reluctantly picked Claire up off his shoulders and set her on the ground. She stared at his face, smiling, before sighing. A foreign feeling seeped into his soul. "What?" he asked.

"Nothing," she said. Jim stared at her expectantly. She sighed but continued anyways. "I just really want to kiss you."

"Oh." He was once again grateful that blushes did not show through stone skin. Smiling down, he took a note of her blushing face and let his amusement and affection flow freely through the bond. "After the fight, then."

Basking in her emotions in the soul bond was something that Jim had taken to doing whenever he needed to calm down or if he just had the time. She was usually so calm, so happy, and maybe a little stressed, but what high school student wasn't? It was much better than the complex human emotions mashed with the troll animalistic feelings that made up his own mind.

When the other five walked in, they saw Jim leaning over Claire, resting his forehead on hers. Blinky immediately walked over to them and broke them apart. "Have you lost your mind, doing that in public?"

Claire tilted her head. "What's bad about it?"

"Only mates show affection that way," AAARRRGGHH! rumbled. "See troll doing it with human without knowing story is bad."

"Beyond bad, that is practically taboo!"

"Wait, that's the troll equivalent of making out?" asked Mary.

Darci smacked Mary's arm. "Why do you think Jim's dad just broke them apart like an embarrassed parent? By the way, Claire, we're totally saying that we caught you making out with your boyfriend now."

Claire stayed resolutely silent, becoming more and more red by the minute.

Toby held up his hands. "But seriously, I don't think any of the trolls saw. If they did, they'd be kicking up a huge fuss, wouldn't they? No offense, but you're not exactly the subtlest of creatures."

"You are correct, Tobias, but I implore the two of you to keep your displays of affection to more private venues." Blinky glared at the two of them. "And Master Jim, while I may not have any formal power of you, I will still – how do the humans say it – ground you if you do this again in public. Understood?"

"Yes, Blinky," Jim muttered, staring at the ground. He had a slouched over posture, his ears drooping.

"Good. Now you, Fair Claire, need to prepare yourself. You have a fight to dominate." Blinky pulled her to the gate, AAARRRGGHH! and her two friends following closely behind. Toby walked up beside Jim, silently standing with him.

"Next time you start giving free rides, I want one. If you don't mind, though, I'll pass on the make-out afterwards." He nearly died laughing when Jim slammed his forehead hard enough into the wall to create spiderweb cracks.

* * *

"Gathered trollkind! The son of the previous Trollhunter has laid a challenge before the current Trollhunter, and you shall all bear witness to the ensuing battle, which will be one for the ages!" Vendel sighed to himself. He already knew the outcome of the battle; no matter how good Draal was, if someone who was able to kill Gunmar and fend off Angor Rot while doing so personally trained and vouched for the other fighter, he would put his bet on the other fighter.

"Draal, son of Kanjigar, son of Tarigar, Draal "the Destroyer," come forth." The old troll watched as the aforementioned challenger rolled forth from the bridge, milking the audience's praise and generally showing off. Sighing to himself, Vendel decided that it was better for Draal to lose. It was about time he got a lesson in humility.

"And now, the challenged, Claire Nuñez, daughter of… ha-vie-air. Come forth, human Trollhunter." Observing silently, he noted as the trolls booed her. A couple of them even threw litter at her, which made Vendel sigh. He had hoped that using the sacred ground of the Hero's Forge would be enough to stop the trolls from throwing trash, but apparently not.

Someone would have to clean all that up later.

The human Trollhunter floated off the ground as she summoned her armor. It was an odd feeling, seeing an armor that he was so familiar with being resized to fit something so small. Draal pounded the ground and snorted across from her, trying to intimidate her, but Vendel was pleased to see that while she did not seem to be much, she refused to be cowed. He paused another moment for dramatic effect before giving the signal.

"Begin!"

The crowd roared with anticipation, but neither of the fighters moved. Both stood, glaring at each other with all of their might, not moving an inch even as the arena began to shift around them. He wondered why that might be, before he scoffed to himself and thought back to who they had both been training with recently. Finally, and rather predictably, it was Draal who moved first.

They had both been carried to the top of the spire, and the bull-like troll capitalized on the reduced space that Claire had to dodge by running and not rolling towards her. In response, though, Claire chucked her sword at him, the blade pointing straight as she dived off the central platform onto one of the other platforms, rolling to stick her landing. Draal slapped the blade to the side with the back of his arm before attempting to follow her, but by that time Claire had already moved again.

The girl was doing her best to stay out of Draal's sight, which was a wise decision on her part. In a straight fight, she would have no chance against him. Her only saving grace right now would be her size and strategy.

The bull-like troll leapt down to the platform that Claire had been on but was forced to jump to the next one when it began to turn vertical. Draal looked around wildly, searching for his quarry who was on the other side of the spire. Currently, she was trying to climb up to the top, most likely to ambush him from the top.

Unfortunately, when Claire had pulled herself up to the central platform, Draal chose that moment to jump back up to survey the area again. Their eyes met, and Draal gave a brief roar before barreling towards her.

Claire crouched down as low as she could, keeping Daylight parallel to the ground. As he came close, she stabbed forward, forcing him to jerk to the side and nearly fall off the spire. Claire tried to exploit his imbalance, lashing out with a swing meant to push him off and force him to fall, but Draal only barely managed to grab her sword and throw her.

Vendel internally winced when Claire slammed into the wall and tumbled down it. The crowd cheered for Draal, but the elder was barely able to make out Jim snarling from behind the gate, AAARRRGGHH! barely managing to restrain him. The other humans were throwing their fists around and screaming something he couldn't hear.

Claire tried to push herself off the ground but was forced to roll to the side when Draal came careening down where she had just been. Dust exploded from the ground, briefly obscuring the audience's vision, but when they were able to see again, Draal was on his knees, cradling his gronk-nuks. Vendel snorted, pleased that the Trollhunter was making good usage of the rules so far.

The crowd went silent. Claire was hiding behind Draal's back, and the troll couldn't find her. Behind the two of them, the spire began to fold back into the ground, but the blades were still swinging from the walls.

Draal whipped around, holding out his arm and backhanding Claire through the air.

Behind the gate, Jim slapped his forehead.

Claire coughed, struggling to get back up before she caught sight of Draal rolling towards her and held up her hands instead. Her armor glowed a bright blue before a fine mist formed over her like a shield, and Draal bounced off it. Undeterred, the troll angled his ump so that he would land on the shield and started slamming his fists into it. He was saying something, but Vendel couldn't hear what.

Draal got tired of pounding the shield and picked Claire up by an arm. He took a second to glare at her before slamming her into the ground and tossing her against the wall again.

This time, Claire lied on the ground for several seconds before trying to get back up. Vendel could see that her movements were getting more sluggish, and he knew that this match was most likely over.

If Draal did not stop, he would be forced to intervene. From what he had observed, Jim would be enough to take on most of Trollmarket before falling, and they could not afford to have that right now.

However, he was presently surprised when Claire ducked back down beneath a blade that slammed into Draal, throwing him through the air in an almost gentle arc and off the edge.

The human Trollhunter got up much more easily than before, and Vendel stroked his goatee. Faking weakness to lure an enemy into an ambush was not the most honorable technique, but the elder was old enough to know that honor wasn't always something to strive for. When the girl had finally made her way to the ledge, one of her arms hanging limply, she summoned Daylight again.

Vendel narrowed his eyes. The crowd was chanting for the kill, and the girl looked like she would indulge them. However, he would not stand for the child of the previous Trollhunter being murdered by the current one over something as petty as honor.

Thankfully, he did not have to intervene, as Claire plunged the sword into the ground and wrapped the limp arm around it, grimacing. She used it as leverage to help the defeated troll back onto the ground of the Forge, where the two nodded to each other.

Draal's shoulders rose, then fell in a large sigh. He cast his eyes towards the ground and began his walk of shame back to his home, where he would take some essentials and leave. The troll let the trash and gnomes pelt him without any resistance, well aware of his new lack of standing in Trollmarket. The Trollhunter looked after him, briefly sighing herself before being engulfed by her companions, who had launched themselves from the gate as soon as it had opened.

Vendel nodded to himself. This was shaping up to be a promising future indeed.

* * *

"C-bomb! You did it!" Mary shouted as they reached Claire.

Blinky threw his fists in the air and cheered. "Splendid job, Fair Claire!"

"Hmm. Good job," rumbled AAARRRGGHH!. Jim noted that he was looking sadly at Draal, but he knew that Draal wouldn't be too badly off by the end of the night.

"Nice going, Claire! Told you that you could do it," said Toby, grinning at her.

"You okay, Claire? You took some bad hits." Darci kneeled next to her and looked her over.

Jim was immensely proud of her. He had barely won, mostly through luck and a tiny bit of strategizing, and she had done just as if not more admirably than he had. However, he could also feel how much pain she was in, and how tired she was. "C'mon guys," he said. "She's tired. Let's get back to the library so I can check out her injuries."

They all nodded. Darci pulled her up by her good arm, but she sagged on the other side. Mary tried to get the other arm over her shoulder, but Claire cried out when she touched it. Jim sighed, walking over to Darci's side. "Here, I got her," the half-troll said. Darci handed her off to him, but he ignored her arm in favor of scooping her up with an arm beneath her knees and another behind her back. He made sure that her bad arm was laid across her stomach before they all set off.

"You know, I was expecting to be able to hide behind him," Claire said, glaring up at him.

Jim winced. "Yeah, sorry about that," he said. "I've been sparring with him and used it against him a couple times. I didn't realize that he had adapted to it by now. Speaking of which, the move to take him down was very familiar."

"In the words of many wise men, if it ain't broke, don't fix it," she responded, her eyes bright.

The rest of them laughed, while the trolls shrugged at each other.

"So, Jim," Toby started, getting his attention.

"Yeah?"

"Still going to kill Draal after you've relieved him of his horns and gronk-nuks, or have you calmed down now?"

Jim sighed, wishing he had a free hand to cover his eyes with. Unfortunately, the subject of which he wanted to hide that little comment from was firmly situated within his arms and was not trying hard at all to hold back her laughter. "What happened to the bro code, Tobes?" he lamented.

Toby shrugged. "There are certain sources of entertainment that one cannot ignore, my friend. Embarrassing you in front of your crush of years is one of them."

The half-troll snorted. "You're just angry I haven't hung out with you lately."

"That's always a possibility, too. I want some bro time before…" he trailed off, making Jim sigh. He knew that everyone within his pack was unhappy with his decision to leave, but it was something that had to be done.

"You know I have to do it, Toby." The others sensed the turn in the conversation and were shuffling along uncomfortably.

Before Toby could reply, however, Darci spoke up. "What's your plan for the Old World?"

Sometimes, Jim regretted not becoming friends with Darci earlier. Out of their entire group, she was the best with social cues and comfortability. He wondered why. "Well, the first thing that I'm gonna do is find the Inferna Copula. Y'know, so Angor Rot doesn't murder me on sight. Not that he can. I'm kind of immune to magic."

Everyone halted in their tracks. Self-consciously, Jim halted between them. "What?"

"You're immune to magic?" Blinky asked, staring at him, completely bewildered.

"Well, yeah. I've got Angor Rot's eye in my..." He looked around, making sure no one was listening. He really should've done that to start with, but he wasn't used to having to hide things in Trollmarket. "…in my amulet. It'll just bounce off of me. Or apparently throw me back in time. At least I assume that's the reason that I came back, because nothing else really makes sense. Doesn't really matter, anyways." Becoming uncomfortable with the way that they were standing still in a crowded market with an injured Claire in his arms, he jerked his head in the direction of the library. "Can we go, please?"

The trek was more silent. None of them said anything until they got back to the library, where Jim said, "Can you guys all stay out here for a bit? I need to check Claire's ribs."

Darci crossed her arms. "Maybe I should come in with you."

Jim nodded, but was surprised when Claire said, "No, I've got some things to say to him, and I don't get a lot of private time with Jim."

Toby snorted, and Mary wiggled her eyebrows at them. Jim sighed. "Really, Claire?"

"What? It's not like we'll be doing anything more than talking." She nodded her head towards the library's entrance. "Get walking, mister."

In the library, Jim deposited Claire on a table. "Dismiss the armor," he said. A second later, the armor glowed and disappeared, the amulet falling into his waiting hand. "Alright, I'm going to need to take off your jacket, so I can look at your shoulder," he said. She sat up, shrugging it off of her good shoulder. As carefully as he could, Jim pulled it off of her bad arm, then pulled back her sleeve, grimacing at the discomfort he felt at her pain.

He didn't need too much time to figure out what was wrong. Her shoulder was very obviously out of its socket, but it was an easy fix. "So, Claire, what do you think of Nomura?"

"The museum changeling lady? She's kind of badass, even if – Aaggh!" She screamed as Jim forcefully shoved her arm back in her socket, twisting it a tiny bit to get it correctly situated. She curled into herself slightly, holding her other arm over her shoulder. "Dammit, that hurt."

"Yeah, I know." Jim had to set a couple of his own dislocated arms. By this time, he could do it like Nomura did right before he had turned himself into what he was now. Toby watched him do it once and immediately passed out, just like he did with Nomura. That was a funny memory.

"Shirt up. I need to check the ribs." He tried to ignore the implications of that, but it was a bit difficult with Claire smiling at him like that and the feelings of amusement streaming across the bond. He narrowed his eyes at her. "Stop it."

The amusement grew stronger, but she did it nonetheless. Getting to work, Jim stared at the blotchy spots on her skin, putting his fingers against them gently. After a moment, he was able to determine that none of her ribs were broken, but his fingers did not leave her skin. It was only just now occurring to him that this was the first time he had seen her stomach, and wow, was it toned. "Hey," she said. Alarmed, he flicked his eyes up at her, feeling like he had just gotten caught with his fingers in the cookie jar. Her eyes sparkled, and he felt an intense affection across their bond. "You done yet? I want that kiss you said I could have earlier."

The half-troll snorted and pulled down her shirt. Claire scooted to where her legs dangled over the edge of the table, pulling Jim closer to her by his neck until she could touch her lips to his. Her hands dragged through his hair, then transferred to his horns. Jim briefly broke this kiss, so he could raise his eyebrows at her. "What?" she said, defensively. "I like them." To prove her point, she pulled him back down by them, sucking on his bottom lip and catching it between her teeth.

After another minute of kissing and basking in each other's presence, Jim reluctantly pulled away. "We should probably get the rest of them in here before they barge in here and ask us what we're doing."

Claire rolled her eyes but nodded anyways. Jim shouted, "Alright, you guys can come in now!"

Toby and Mary were the first to burst in, Darci walking in after them. The two trolls ambled in behind them, embroiled in their own discussion. "Jiiim, Darci's being a killjoy!"

"Yeah, like, totally not cool," Mary agreed, her phone in her hand.

Jim looked to Darci and raised his eyebrows. She scoffed, saying, "I wouldn't let them rush in and get pictures of you two making out."

"Thank you, Darci," he said, ignoring her comment of them making out. "Maybe Toby and Mary should take a page out of your book in being friends."

"Nah," said Toby. "I'm the best friend. The best friend becomes that when they know so much that you can't get rid of them."

Jim just covered his face with a palm. It wasn't enough to hide his grin.

Blinky clapped his hands to get their attention. "Moving on. Claire, I want you to know that you did excellently."

"I got my arm dislocated and nearly cracked all of my ribs. How is that excellent?"

Jim laughed. "I _did_ break my ribs when I fought him. Also, Nomura may or may not be waiting for you at home. You guys never did tell me if you got arrested like I did."

Darci rolled her eyes. "Claire and Toby did. I know enough to not get caught, thank you."

Jim looked to Mary, who was currently typing on her phone. Without looking up, she replied, "Yeah, I went with the one whose dad is a detective. Sorry-not-sorry C-bomb."

"Traitor," Claire muttered.

"She's probably waiting at home for you then. In which case I will be following you home. I'll do my best not to be seen by Draal if he shows up, but if he doesn't, then I'll hop in."

"Yeah, that's a great way to introduce my boyfriend to my parents," Claire said. "He followed me home. Can I keep him?"

The other three laughed, but Jim just rolled his eyes. "Yeah, laugh it up. Just means extra training for all of you until I leave."

That sobered them up.

"In any case," Blinky said, "You said that Killahead bridge has only been moved from one room of the museum to another. Do you think you could verify that tonight while you are above ground?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." Jim could do stealth pretty well in his troll form. And tracking. Anything to do with hunting, really. He was pretty sure the Jotuns were hunters, if he was anything to go by.

"Then we all have our tasks. Master Jim, will you be coming back to Trollmarket afterwards?"

"Nah, Toby and I have some catching up to do. I'll see you guys tomorrow morning after Vendel's lesson, though."

"Very well then." He and Blinky gently butted horns, then he nuzzled AAARRRGGHH!.

"Alright. You guys leave, and then I'll wait for Draal to follow. See you in an hour or so, Toby, Claire. Goodnight to you, Darci and Mary." The four humans nodded, Mary and Darci repeating his goodnight.

Alone with Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!, Jim relaxed. He hopped onto one of the tables, looking down at them. "So, what do you guys want to do for a bit?"

Before they could reply, Jim heard the tink of Vendel's staff against the stone ground. Evidently, the two of them did too, since Blinky sighed and AAARRRGGHH! turned towards the entrance. When Vendel appeared in the doorway, he stared at them for a moment before speaking. "Blinkous, AAARRRGGHH!, a word."

"Very well. Good night, Tarmek."

"Night."

They followed Vendel out of the library, leaving Jim to his own devices.

* * *

Jim breathed deeply once he was under the stars of the night sky.

It was always strange to be able to smell the residue of cars and other such machines whenever he came up, along with faintly hearing dogs barking from half a mile away.

It served as a reminder for how much he had changed.

Before he lost himself in thoughts again, though, he summoned his armor to him. He had a job to do.

The first thing was figuring out how he would be getting to the museum without being seen. He knew that the cameras were fake, what with Bular constantly moving around inside and outside, but he needed to be sure that none of the changelings or the aforementioned Gumm-Gumm would see him.

Climbing on top of the closest building, Jim started running over the rooftops and leaping between the gaps. The museum was easy to spot, and he was also born and raised in this town, so he was able to take the most direct route there. However, he stopped once he reached the buildings across the street.

The problem wasn't the building itself but the spacious clearing around it. Somehow, he needed to get past the clearing without being spotted, but he had no idea how he was going to do that.

Eventually, he came up with a solution: get on top of the building in a single leap. Hopefully his armor would be able to mute the landing like it did with his footsteps when he wanted it to. Bending his knees and touching his fingertips to the roof beneath him, he tensed all the muscles in his legs and pushed.

Jim sailed through the air, and he basked in the rush of air past his ears. It never failed to get his blood pumping.

When he touched down, it was on top of the roof of the museum. He had never been more thankful for skylights in his life. Staying crouched down, he crawled over to the nearest one, finding a covering that looked similar. But it was the same room that the bridge had first been found in, so it was probably some Viking ship like it was last time.

Crawling to another skylight, he froze when he looked through it.

There, in all his hateful stone flesh, stood Bular the Vicious, son of Gunmar and murderer of many a Trollhunter.

It took Jim several moments to keep himself from busting through the ceiling and slaughtering the Gumm-Gumm, but eventually he was able to convince himself that Claire needed to do it. He was at least able to confirm that the bridge was still in the museum, since Bular was talking to Gladys in front of its glowing blue stone.

Once, he actually had tried to sympathize with the Gumm-Gumm; they had both lost their fathers and wanted them back. However, he no longer held any sympathy for the dark troll, knowing his past deeds and what he did to his subordinates. Like what he was doing right now.

Which was lashing out against Gladys.

Gladys tried to run, but it was clear that Bular was out for blood. Strickler was interestingly absent, which led Jim to believe that this was happening without his knowledge.

Right when Jim was about to leave, though, Bular got a hold of her.

That's when Jim learned that if a changeling died in their human form, they did not explode.

He forced himself to leave when Bular started putting the purple organs in his mouth.

Jim only got about a block away before he was forced to drop into an alleyway and lose his lunch. And then his breakfast. Then he thought again of her vacant, dead eyes and blood pooling around the two halves of her body and vomited whatever was left.

He felt sick, more than just physically. It was as if his very soul had just blackened a little by seeing that, and it was responding violently. Somewhere, Claire was pushing against his bond with concern and trying to calm him, but he was too dizzy to really register someone else's emotions on top of his own.

Once he had a good enough control of himself to not start dry heaving as soon as he moved, Jim shakily stood to his feet. He had to get to his house; being in the middle of a populated town throwing his guts up was not a good thing. Jim pulled himself back up to one of the roof tops, albeit much more slowly. He set off again, at more of a jogging pace than a running one, but nevertheless progressing towards his own house.

Eventually, he got behind the house, but before he could open the door, he collapsed against it. Thankfully, it did not break, but it did open a second later. His mother's scent filled his nostrils, briefly bringing up feelings of safety before another stray image of Gladys made him dry heave again.

"Jim? Jim, what – oh my god, what's happening?! Here, let's get you inside." Jim had just enough of his senses left to dismiss his armor, giving his mother an easier time of pulling an arm over her shoulder and helping him to the couch. Jim fell across it, dry heaving again and curling into himself. "Here, let me call Toby."

As his mother dialed a number in her phone and put it to her ear, Jim felt his own phone ring in his pocket. Desperate for a distraction, he pulled it out, seeing the caller ID as Claire. Gratefully, he pressed the answer button and raised it to his ear.

"Oh my god, Jim, are you okay? I've called you like five times now!"

He gave a strangled laugh.

"I'm on my way. You're at Toby's house, right?"

"Mom's."

"Okay. I'll be there in a second."

There were no words to describe how grateful he was.

A second later, Toby burst through the door. He looked around frantically for a second before locating Jim on the couch and rocketing over to sit next to his head. "Jimbo?! Hey, man, are you okay? Well, of course you're not, you wouldn't be here heaving if you were." He was silent for a second, before asking, "Do you want to talk about it?"

And expose them to the horrors? _Fuck_ no.

"Not really," he managed to rasp out.

Toby fell into another brief silence before speaking again. "Do you want me to turn on a movie or something? It might help calm your nerves." Jim nodded. Toby got up, rummaging around the cases that they had next to their TV. "Gun Robot or How to Train Your Dragon?"

Jim shrugged. Toby selected Gun Robot and popped it in the TV, situating himself by Jim's head. The half-troll did his best to focus on the movie, infinitely thankful for Toby.

* * *

Eventually, Claire burst through the door too. At that point, Barbara had joined Jim and Toby on the couch, the two of them exchanging concerned glances over the half-troll who was resolutely staring at the TV. She could see dried tear tracks on his face and a wet cloth next to Toby. Without saying anything, she walked over to the couch, patted Jim's shoulder to get him to lift his head and sat under it so that his head would be in her lap. She started stroking his hair, doing her best to calm the roiling disgust, loathing, and depression she felt through the bond.

They all sat there like that until the movie ended. At one point, she, Toby, and Barbara had started their own conversation about mundane human things like school and her arrest, which helped calm Jim down. She smiled down at him while the credits played, hoping that he would open up. "Jim?" she asked softly. "Do you want to talk now?"

He sighed. "It's…" He refused to meet her gaze. "Bular did what Gumm-Gumms do."

Barbara frowned. She didn't really pay attention to troll things, so she hadn't made the connection. Toby and Claire, on the other hand, understood exactly what he was talking about.

"Okay." She motioned for Toby to go fill Barbara in. He pulled out his phone, sending her a text. When her phone pinged, the doctor frowned down at it before her eyes widened and she covered her mouth with a hand. She looked horrified, which was an appropriate reaction to stone monsters eating people.

"It was Gladys, so expect the switch to happen soon." Claire frowned. He was trying to force down his emotions, dulling them so he wouldn't have to deal with them. She knew how unhealthy that was.

"Do you want me to call Darci over?"

"Why would Darci help?"

"Her mom is a Navy Seal veteran, so she had to learn how to help with PTSD."

"I don't have PTSD."

Claire gently kissed his forehead. She hoped with all her might it would never come to that. "No, but this is a traumatic event and she would be most qualified to help."

Jim shook his head. "I'm fine," he said. "I'll get over it."

Claire frowned, but didn't push him. "Okay." She stayed with his head in her lap for a couple more minutes, watching Toby put in How to Train Your Dragon next. She sighed, saying, "I have to get back home, Jim. I don't want my parents to wake up and think that I snuck out while they were asleep."

He nodded. She could feel how much he wanted her to stay.

So, she did. Just for a couple more minutes.


	15. Pep Talk

**Disclaimer: Trollhunters belongs to Guillermo del Toro.**

 **Hey guys, it's been a little while, hasn't it? I really don't have any excuses, so i hope you can all forgive me. I can promise that the next chapter will not take this long.**

 **Also, someone asked me about the sudden soul-bond. And no, it was not for the sole (heh) purpose of plot. Merlin is the type of guy who really doesn't care about feelings, societal taboos, or even lives in the long run. He's the type of good that would remove everyone's free will if it meant peace; the type that sees the line and screams past it in a jet. Something that would usually be a hallowed bond between husband and wife would be disregarded if it meant better performing soldiers. Of course, Morgana didn't give up her body without a fight, so he never did get to make any more amulets.**

* * *

Jim sighed as he closed the back door behind him. He felt bad about leaving without giving his mom a proper goodbye, but he left a note explaining that he would come back later. For now, he was going back to Trollmarket for his usual lesson with Vendel.

He hadn't slept well. Or at all, really. The grisly sight was still all he saw whenever he closed his eyes. At least he knew that NotEnrique was probably still going to show up. Running a hand across a horn, he tried to convince himself that it was a sight he would have to get used to soon. It wasn't like it was the first time he had seen someone died, but there was something about the presence of actual bones, blood, and intestines that hit so much closer to home than the death of a troll did. When AAARRRGGHH! had died, there hadn't been any disgust, nausea, or reactions like that. His stone body reaching out a hand tortured his dreams for a long time, but not in the same way that the dead-eyed purple-covered corpse was.

At least his musings had taken him to the entrance of Trollmarket. Jim briefly squeezed his eyes shut, Gladys's mangled body briefly flashing across the blackness before he forced it away. It was time for him to apply his favored system of not caring for his own health to push back his problems.

Jim descended the crystal staircase, a light hunch to his back. Many of the trolls that would usually greet him with a dip of the head, a brief call of his name, or a cheerful smile stayed away from him instinctively, and for that he was grateful. He wasn't in the mood for small talk.

There were no detours in his path to Vendel's dwelling inside the Heartstone, but he briefly paused outside to leave Nightfall with the guards as usual. One of them, Nurk if he remembered correctly, eyed him closely, but let him in anyways. Once inside, Jim waited to be summoned by Vendel as was normal for them now.

The elderly troll gestured at the seat in front of his desk. **"Come. Sit."**

Jim walked up to the chair and sat. He attempted to keep his sleeplessness from affecting him, but he could tell from Vendel's raised eyebrow that he probably did a bad job. So, he got right into it. **"The bridge is in the correct location, and the imp that I told you about will be coming on schedule. When I got there, Bular was… ridding himself of the changeling that was killed by us last time."**

Vendel sat down, staring at him. **"You are troubled."**

Jim debated whether he should dismiss it or tell him. Eventually, he went with his usual option. **"It does not matter."**

" **Clearly it does, or it would not be troubling you. Now tell me."**

Jim sat silently for several seconds, casting his vision downward into his now fidgeting hands. Angrily, he fisted them, before meeting Vendel's eyes. **"Bular ate her. I am well aware of trolls old eating habits, and that the Gumm-Gumms continued those eating habits, but I was not prepared to see it in person. I will get over it."**

The elder nodded, stroking his goatee. **"Your reaction is not one of weakness. Trolls are disturbed by the consumption of our own species, hence the naming of Gruesomes and the fear of Ettins. It is good that you are revolted by such things; I would be concerned if you reacted otherwise."**

While that did lift a certain pressure from Jim's chest, the bile still rose every time the image reappeared. **"Can we move onto the lesson?"**

" **Yes. How much of that book have you read?"**

" **I have read up to 1912, where the Huldufólk cut off all communications east of Germany."**

" **You've essentially finished the book, then. Little happened past that point that we are aware of, only minor events in the rest of western Europe. Find 1937, that is the only other part that you need to read. The fall of the European Trollmarket."**

Jim nodded. **"Is there anything else I need to learn etiquette-wise?"**

" **No. Most of it is instinctual, and I have confirmed that you have these instincts. You know well enough how refined of a race trolls are politically."**

" **Not at all?"**

" **Indeed."**

The half-troll sighed, and asked, **"I'm going to be doing most of my diplomacy with Eclipse aren't I?"**

" **Oh, most definitely. I do wish you luck, and I'll probably be seeing you off."**

" **Everyone else will be there too."**

" **Exactly. I want you to be able to see their faces too."**

They both chuckled. The half-troll was left slightly astounded; he never thought that he would be sharing laughter with Vendel of all people. There were a lot of things he ended up doing that he never thought he would, though, like fighting alongside Strickler. And having a tentative acquaintanceship with Morgana. Jim shrugged internally, deciding to relish being able to definitively add the cantankerous troll to his group of friends. **"I will see you later, elder. Thank you for teaching me."** Jim stood, lifting his chin to the old troll.

To his astonishment, Vendel stood and lifted his chin back at him. **"It was an honor to teach you, James Lake. I expect great things from you. And before I forget, here."** He handed Jim a paper letter, just like one that would be mailed. The half-troll blinked, then took it. The address read as something in French, _Le Magasin de Massage de Fu._ He looked back up at Vendel. **"There is a human in Paris, a guardian of magic stones. He is one of the few who knows of trolls and is not a changeling. He may be able to point you in the direction of the Inferna Copula."**

Jim nodded. **"I will put all of my effort into surpassing your expectations. Goodbye for now, elder."**

" **In due time, Trollhunter."** The goat-like troll sat back down, pulling out a crystal from under the table and began to examine it.

Jim left the Heartstone, feeling much better from his conversation with his newest friend.

* * *

Looking around outside the Heartstone, Nightfall's comforting weight back on his hip, Jim reflected on his new life.

Tomorrow, or the day after, he would be leaving Arcadia for a long time. It was something that needed to be done for everyone to grow; there was no way around it. Still, though… he would miss Trollmarket.

The trolls had successfully grown on him, what with him pounding several of them into the rocks and the grace with which they accepted their defeat. Apparently, the only thing they had really had against him was his fleshbag state.

They were probably going to be disappointed when he revealed himself.

Grog was something that he wouldn't miss too badly, but it was a nice drink. It was more the companionship that it provided that he would miss, the way he could just talk and more often listen to the other trolls and their lives. Sometimes, it was nice to know what he was fighting for.

As Jim walked through the market, the trolls all readily greeted him with nods and calls of "Tarmek!" They could tell that he was soothed, and one child even walked up to him to ask him how to fight. The mother quickly grabbed him back, but Jim laughed and waved it off. Sometimes, it was the little things that made him smile the most.

He stopped at the library, eyeing it and committing it to memory before walking in. Not that he would ever be able to forget it.

Something just felt wrong, walking back into the library. Like so much had changed. It was probably because he would be leaving soon, as soon as he could guarantee NotEnrique as a friend. That would only require a day or two, and the imp would be arriving tomorrow. The half-troll sighed as he opened the hidden trapdoor, descending to the room that Blinky and AAARRRGGHH! had given him. After a final check on Claire's emotions, he collapsed on his bed. Maybe he could find more rest amidst their comforting musk and the way it permeated the cavern.

* * *

"You seem disturbed." Morgana floated above him, staring up into the expansive sky that the dreamscape had become. Jim walked up behind her silently, tilting his head. It looked like she had tried to imagine how stars looked, and they all had the same appearance as a torch, flames licking up like hair. Closing his eyes, Jim imagined them the way he knew them, awe-inspiring spheres of color with arcs of flame and gently reaching tendrils larger than the Earth itself.

He heard Morgana gasp, and he opened his eyes to take a look at her face. She was staring at the sun in awe, mouth hanging open a tiny bit. The half-troll smiled to himself, then sat back on nothing. "I am."

"By what?" she asked softly, still not taking her eyes off the red giant he had created.

"Bular. My first time seeing a troll actually eat someone. I wasn't ready for it."

"Oh, child. No one is ever ready for violence. It's something that creeps up on you, slowly becoming more and more a part of you until it becomes casual." She turned to look at him, flipping over and laying her chin on her hands. "I pray that you never experience that yourself."

He snorted. "Who would you pray to?"

When she didn't reply, Jim flicked his gaze over to her, only to see her frowning down at her fingers. "I suppose I wouldn't," she said softly. "I lost my trust in the gods of man long ago."

They simply floated together, sharing in a companionable silence. Jim enjoyed that about her; she was much quieter and more contemplative than the rest of his friends. It wasn't that he didn't laugh at their energy and draw his own from it, but sometimes it was good to take a moment to relax and think. Jim closed his eyes, imagining a pulsar for her.

When he opened his eyes, he took a moment to pat himself on the back at the spinning white majesty before them. Looking to Morgana, he took pride in her enraptured expression. "And what is this?"

"A pulsar," he said. "A rotating neutron star shooting out beams of electromagnetic radiation." At her lost look, he chuckled. "A spinning sun," he simplified.

"Magnificent," she breathed. "Man discovered that stars look like this?"

"Yeah, but actual space science has really only been a thing for the past hundred years or so. This is a relatively new discovery."

Morgana stretched a hand out towards it. "My changelings never told me of such things," she said. "They only ever informed of political climates, human weapons, and their own agenda." Focusing on Jim, she asked, "What else has mankind found?"

"So many things. It would take months to tell you all about it. The most amazing advances, though, have probably been in medicine, though I am a bit biased. My mother is a doctor, after all." Thinking of his mother brought a sad grin to his face. Leaving her would be the hardest thing he would ever have to do, even if he knew he was coming back eventually.

"What could be done to make medicine better?"

"Well, we don't bleed people, for one. That'll kill the patient before it does anything else. What diseases do you know of?"

"The worst I know of is the Black Death."

Jim nodded. It was about what he expected. "Almost completely cured."

Her head whipped towards him. "How?" she demanded.

"Antibiotics. Diseases are caused by tiny particles called cells, too small for the eye to see. They attack and kill the cells that we're made of, which is what makes us sick. But with the medicine of today, it's a simple matter to kill the cells. Even infected wounds are fairly easy to treat if you can get to a doctor."

"What of smallpox?"

"Gone completely. We cured everyone of it, so it doesn't exist anymore. It'll never infect anyone again." The half-troll grinned at her flabbergasted face.

"Incredible, that man can change so much in so little time. A mere four hundred years, and disease is a thing of the past?"

"Not quite, but it's not as bad as it used to be. In wealthy countries, anyways. Poor countries and communities like town slums don't have access to much medicine, so it's very dangerous for them."

They simply lay in a shared quietness, appreciating the other's presence. Eventually, Morgana sighed. "So many changes in so little time."

Jim knew that she wasn't talking about the human race anymore. "I seem to specialize in it."

"How do you do it?"

"Do what?"

The scene in front of them changed. Instead a majestic star, Jim saw himself, running to his friends trapped in magical bindings and jumping into the way of what was surely a death-dealing blow before everything turned white. "How do you cope with it? You were the Trollhunter for less than a year before you did what no Trollhunter before you dared to hope to accomplish. You sacrificed your life, not once, but twice, and were willing to do so many times before that. Then, when your life wasn't ended the first time, you lost your humanity, you turned around in a moment and defeated two of the most dangerous trolls of all time together. How?"

Jim drew his knees up to his chest, resting his chin on them. Anger and the echoes of pain not long past flowed through him, but he sighed and pushed them away. "I don't know. I know my friends are part of it; if not for them, well… I don't like to think about that. But otherwise…"

 _-A statue in armor, a dark portal flowing, scraps of dull metal glowing on the ground as he screamed to the heavens-_

"It had to be me," he muttered. "Someone else might have gotten it wrong."

Morgana didn't respond before he woke up.

* * *

The first thing that Jim noticed when his eyes opened was that he had summoned his armor in his sleep. Frowning, he forced it to retract back into the amulet. There hadn't been an incident like that since his earlier days, and only about a week following the whole Darklands idiocy.

Must've been the flashback.

While it wasn't like they were new, they weren't usually so intense. Jim chalked it up to technically dreaming and pushed himself out of his bed. He stretched a bit, ridding himself of the lest vestiges of exhaustion as best as he could. Finally, he drew himself up, cracking his neck to each side, and trudged up to the library.

When he poked his head up, he was met with the scents of the entire team. Taking a second to blink and make sure he was awake, he pulled himself up fully, closing the trapdoor behind him. Toby immediately noticed him, running up to him and hugging him. Claire took a couple seconds to follow him, hugging him from the other side.

"Jimbo, are you okay?" Toby asked him, not letting go.

Jim gave him a half-hearted grin. "Yeah, I'm fine now. Don't worry about it. I really should've seen something like that before now; not really sure why I didn't see that coming."

Claire frowned up at him. "How in the heck would you see a rock-monster eating a shapeshifting rock-monster coming?"

The half-troll shrugged. "Strickler made a comment about how he would rather be crushed like a troll than eaten like a fleshbag once. Don't remember the context, but the connotations should've been pretty obvious."

The entire library was silent. Darci and Mary were looking at him in disgust, and he belatedly realized that they might not know what the whole deal was. Blinky put a hand AAARRRGGHH!'s arm, while the large troll looked like he was somewhere else, before shaking himself off.

"I'm sorry, could you back that up like two miles and start at the beginning?" Darci asked, holding up her arms.

Jim looked to the two humans by his side. "You didn't tell them?"

They both pulled away, Toby shrugging. "We weren't exactly sure what happened in the first place, so, no."

"Oh. Well, you guys remember Gladys?"

"The dentist changeling lady?" Mary clarified.

"Yeah, Bular ate her." It still made him squeeze his eyes shut. Not ass bad as before, but he attributed to the fact that any sensation as a troll was dialed up to a thousand.

He felt Claire pushing against his soul, offering comfort. He took it gladly, basking in her glow and putting a hand over the one she put on his arm.

"Are you okay?" Darci asked after a second. Mary looked like she was actively trying not to lose her lunch, but Darci was just looking at him with concern.

"Yeah, why?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Senseless acts of violence, especially taboo ones like cannibalism or killing a child, are much more mentally damaging than regular killing. And yes, I know it's not cannibalism," she said, raising a hand to stop Blinky's prepared interjection. "But seeing something that can think and talk and is shaped similar to a human eat someone, especially someone you're familiar with, would be traumatizing."

Jim shrugged. "I don't have time to be traumatized. Anyways, Claire, have the changelings made their move yet?"

Claire narrowed her eyes, and he got the distinct feeling that she would want to talk about it later. "I think they have," she said. "I can't find my Little Suzy doll, and Enrique has been acting really weird."

"Then I'll be by your house as soon as I can. I've got a couple people around here that I want to say goodbye to." He turned to Blinky and AAARRRGGHH!.

The three waited until Toby and Claire had herded the other two out of the room. AAARRRGGHH! sat in front of him and Blinky leaned on his arm. "Leaving already?" rumbled the Krubera, a hint of sadness in his voice. Jim's heart ached, and Claire did nothing to ease it. She was probably a little angry herself.

"You guys need to find your own way without me. I mean, look at you! Blinky, you're so much more confident than I remember you being at this point. AAARRRGGHH!, there's really not many ways that you can improve. But there's so much ahead of you and Claire, so much that I might stifle by being here. Besides, if everything goes well, we'll have one of the greatest hunters of all time on our side."

Blinky sighed, but moved forward, embracing Jim. "Will we at least be able to see you off when you do leave?"

Jim leaned into the embrace, doing his best to lock his foster father's scent into his memory. "Yeah, it'll probably be in a day or two. I do have to get all the supplies I can; I'll probably be stowing away on a boat or something."

Jim gave a slight yelp when he felt himself and Blinky being picked up, and he looked up into AAARRRGGHH!'s smiling face. "See you when you come back, brother."

"Not if I see you first." The mossy troll put them both down, and Jim walked to the entrance of the library before he turned back and waved to them. The two trolls grinned, waving back at him.

* * *

It was several hours later that Claire walked into the Lake house. Jim had been playing games with Toby for a couple hours, and she walked right into the middle of them in a round of Smash Bros. "Hah! Daylight is no match for the legendary sword Ragnell! Eat aether, Jimothy!"

Jim growled back at him. "I would beat Ike's ass in real life, Toby. _Stop spamming aether!_ "

Claire smiled, and Jim's head swiveled to her. She realized that she was projected her emotions but shrugged. They'd figure out how to control it later, when he came back. Apparently, it might be muted by distance, but they weren't entirely sure it would work the same if they were linked by the amulets. Claire wasn't sure if it would be good or bad if they couldn't feel each other.

On one hand, it could be distracting in situations where distraction would be bad, but at the same time, she didn't want to lose her rock. She sighed mentally. Now wasn't the time to worry about it. What would happen, would happen, and there was nothing they could do about it.

She was jarred out of her thoughts by Jim groaning, and she saw the screen reading out that Toby had beat him. Toby jumped up on the couch, doing a little victory dance. "Sword users are broken," the half-troll moaned.

"Everything good in here?" Claire asked, grinning at the two.

"Toby no-lifes at this game and thinks that its okay to beat the crap out of me in it."

"Excuse you, it's called skill, practice, and dedication." Toby jabbed at Jim's side, making Claire snort when Jim nearly went through the couch to get away from his best friend.

Claire hummed, laying across the couch, her back on Jim's legs. "Mind if I play?"

Toby grinned, holding out a controller to her. "Just so you know, I've never lost to one of my friends, and I'm not about to start now."

"Toby, I'm the only person you've ever played against."

The boy waved his arm around. "Details."

Claire rolled her eyes at their antics, picking her favorite character, Mewtwo. Toby snickered at her choice, immediately going back to Ike. Smiling secretly to herself, Claire didn't move from place draped across Jim's legs while Toby sat up, concentrating on the screen.

Two minutes later, Toby was demanding a rematch, Jim was cackling, and Claire was grinning widely as the screen displayed her win. "How?" Toby demanded. "What is this? I am the god of this game! Who do you think you are?!"

"A non-believer," she retorted. Jim doubled over, gasping for breath as he laughed even harder. It took him a full minute to stop, with the other two grinning at him, Claire letting his own amusement and affection pour into her own. Eventually, the half-troll was wiping tears from his eyes, doing his best not to devolve back into laughter every time that he looked at either of them. Claire swung herself up, situating herself in his lap and leaned her back into his heaving chest.

Jim wiped a final tear from his eye and breathed, saying to them, "That was fantastic. Thank you, sincerely, for that."

"Glad to know that you find amusement in my demise, Jimbo." Toby crossed his arms and turned away from him.

Jim grinned, saying, "Don't be like that, Tobes." Then his grin turned sly. "There's room in my lap for you too."

"You stay away from me!" the boy cried, batting away Jim's reaching arm.

"Claire, help me!" She rolled her eyes but grabbed Toby's shoulders and dragged him over as he struggled. Jim situated both of them together in his lap and hugged them close, despite Toby's protests. Eventually, his best friend gave up and was situated on his lap next to Claire, where Jim drew them both in close and breathed deeply, laying his head on top of them. "I'm gonna miss you two," he whispered.

"Just us?" Claire asked, trying to stifle the fear and heartbreak welling up within her. She knew Jim still felt it, as he pushed a feeling of reassurance at her and drew them in closer.

Toby snorted. "More like just me. You're a savage, crown-stealing evil woman." Claire glared playfully back at him, aware of the tears in the corner of his eyes. Suddenly, it struck her that Toby had never been without Jim before, not since he had moved here after he lost his parents. Frowning to herself, she resolved to try and include him as best as she could in her own friend group. He didn't deserve to be alone because Jim had suddenly become stupid, in her opinion.

"I'll miss mom, Blinky, and AAARRRGGHH! too. Heck, I think I might even miss that old grouchy goat Vendel," Jim grinned down at them, enjoying their snickers.

"You know, you could always just, I don't know, not leave." Toby's tone was hopeful, but he knew Jim too well. Claire hadn't even really known him all that long either, but she knew him well enough to know that he was damn stubborn.

"You guys need room to grow," Jim told them, as gently as he could. "I'm way too overprotective; I'd never let you guys get into anything remotely dangerous if I could help it. C'mon, Toby, you've always wanted to be a hero! You're finally gonna get an awesome war hammer, and if you play your cards right, the girl of your dreams!"

"Yeah," Toby said, quietly. "But I don't want those at the cost of my best friend."

Jim sighed. He let Toby and Claire roll down to his sides, where they leaned against him. Silence permeated the room for a bit, until the half-troll spoke up again. "You know I'm coming back, Right? You can't get rid of me that easily."

"My parents were supposed to come back too."

Both Jim and Claire winced at Toby's crushed voice. The half-troll hugged Toy to him, saying, "I'm bringing a phone. Just a flip phone, but I'll call you every day. Alright? You've gotta be my eyes and ears here, Tobes. I'm counting on you to keep my mom safe."

Toby sniffled against him. "You know I will."

Jim nodded, not saying anything else as Toby tried not to cry and Claire watched them both, feeling like she was intruding on a private moment not meant for her eyes.

* * *

Once Claire had confirmed that her parents had left, Jim got a text from her saying that he could come over.

Toby, being Toby, made a joke. "Ooh, look at that, Jimbo getting invited over once the parents are gone. You're moving up."

Jim just sighed, not even bothering to respond.

Leaving through the backdoor and jumping through the trees, he made it there in less than two minutes. Brushing all the leaves off him as he walked up to the front door, he carefully knocked, wand waited for Claire to open the door.

As soon as the door swung open, Jim smiled down at Claire, only to yelp as she grabbed his mane and tugged his lips down to hers. Mentally, he shrugged, and hoisted her up by the waist.

When they parted, Jim raised his eyebrows at Claire. His cheeks were burning, but thankfully hidden by his stone skin. Hers was not, allowing his the wonderous sight of Claire blushing heavily while stammering. He pushed his amusement and affection at her, laughing at her affronted face.

"I just – I wanted to do that at least one more time." She finally got out.

The half-troll nodded. "I'm always happy to kiss you."

She giggled. "Yeah, I know."

Claire stepped out of the way so Jim could step in her house, and his ears twitched as he heard thumping upstairs, much louder than a baby laying in a crib should be able to generate. He grinned to himself, already preparing to take a mental snapshot of the changeling's face. Before he followed Claire, he gave a mental tug at the armor, appreciative of its quieter summoning.

They walked up to the room, Jim trailing behind Claire. She opened the door, cooing at the giggling fake baby, saying "There's someone you should meet, Enrique." Then she stepped inside to allow all seven and a half feet of armored half-troll Trollhunter to step through.

The baby immediately stopped laughing, his mouth dropping and eyes flashing in surprise. Then he flashed with green lightning, attempting to jump past them, only for Jim to grab him by his scruff and hold him at arm's length.

The changeling immediately began struggling, but he was unable to loosen Jim's grip, and eventually just went limp and dangled from his hand, his arms crossed and glaring at the half-troll.

"So," Jim started, barely able to keep the mirth from his face. "How about we start with introductions?"

"What in the hell are you?! I wasn't told about no dark Trollhunter!"

Jim shrugged. "Reasonably certain I'm a half Jotun."

"Reasonably certain?! What kind of troll don't know their own parentage? And can we get back to the two Trollhunters thing? I'm a little confused over here!"

"You're really not in the position to make demands," Claire said brightly, aa triumphant smile on her face. She pulled out her own amulet, floating up in the air briefly to summon her armor.

Jim watched her, amazed by how awesome she looked summoning armor. He shook his head, returning to the changeling in his hand. "Whaddya want from me?" he grumbled.

"A mutual friendship," Jim said. "Some good for you, some good for us, everyone goes home happy. Or maybe even get a home. Now, I know you don't have a name yet, so I'm gonna call you NotEnrique for now, alright?"

He grumbled, glaring over at Claire, who glared right back at him. "So, what's the gig?"

"Well, first is you not ratting us out to Stricklander." NotEnrique jerked in his grip, clearly surprised by his knowledge. "Yeah, I know about him, Nomura, Otto, and the recently deceased Gladys." A wave of disgust came over him at the grisly reminder, and he shivered slightly. NotEnrique narrowed his eyes at him, gesturing for him to continue. "You help us when we ask for it, and we won't be asking you to act directly against the other changelings."

"And what do I get in return?" the changeling asked, red irises peering up at the half-troll.

"You're new to the human world. I'll show all the best food, and whenever you need some real food, you can ask any one of us for some. We'll also bring you to Trollmarket, and you can be the first changeling in centuries to feel the embrace of a Heartstone."

"Food, shelter, and protection," the changeling muttered. "That doesn't sound like too bad of a gig, gotta admit. And all I gotta do is lie to the boss and help you out every once in a while?"

Jim nodded. Claire walked next to him, her arms crossed. "Yeesh," NotEnrique mumbled. "Might need protection from her. What's the deal, Trollhunter lady?"

"You took my baby brother from me." Her hand flexed, and Jim was reminded of just how much she loved her brother when he had to actively calm her, so she didn't summon Daylight. "Not exactly the best start to a relationship."

"Oh please." The changeling waved an arm about, rolling his eyes. "All babies do is sleep, poop, and cry. Nothing to miss about that."

Claire really did summon Daylight in response. Jim pinched the bridge of his nose and held a now squirming and yelping NotEnrique as high as he could, away from Claire's reach. "Claire," he said, pushing Daylight out of his face. "We talked about this. Your parents would notice if Enrique suddenly disappeared."

"Not too sure of that," Claire muttered under his breath. He still heard it, though, and while he desperately wanted to do something about it, he couldn't. She was pushing away his attempts to soothe her, a roiling pit of anger coating her soul.

* * *

"So, the first thing you need to know, and that you've probably already figured out, is that you can only eat human food while in human form, and you can only eat harder substances and cloth in troll form. Raw meat is also pretty tasty, but for you, I'd stick to cans, socks, and other various things that won't be missed."

NotEnrique was situated between Jim's horns, a hand wrapped around each to keep himself on. When the half-troll felt him nod, he continued. "And so, I bring you to the one place no one in Arcadia would ever care about: the dumpsters." They were behind a theater, where Jim knew few people were at night, and he had already checked for cameras. He doubted anyone would have the confidence to go out back if they heard thumping, either, so he also had that going for him.

"Not sure I could bite through that, kid."

Jim laughed, but was careful not to jostle the changeling. "Not the dumpster itself, what's in it." He took a stride forward, gently tossing open the lid. He had already accidentally torn a door off its hinges in his own house, he really didn't want to go around destroying public property.

What Jim once would've considered a disgusting smell was now simply amiable for him, in much the same way food was for humans. NotEnrique, though, was already salivating. He hopped from Jim's head into the dumpster, grabbing a beer can and biting straight through it. When he made a pleased noise through the crunching of metal, the half-troll shrugged and said, "Pass me the other one."

NotEnrique tossed up another can, thankfully one with soda. Taking a bite out of it, Jim nodded to himself. The can wasn't particularly tasty, but it was good to know that he could survive off more than just glass or meat.

"So why don't humans eat this stuff?" asked the changeling, through a mouthful of metal.

"Their teeth aren't strong enough to bite through it, and they also have stomach acids meant for digesting organic material. Never learned what trolls have instead, but whatever it is, they can't digest things that humans consider delicious. Except tacos and burritos, for some reason. Not sure why."

NotEnrique looked up at him, confused, and Jim realized that despite being centuries old, no one had ever bothered educating him. "Uh, straight metal is harmful to humans. We - they need it in small amounts, like getting iron from meat."

"There's iron in meat?"

"Nah, it's in the blood. But when humans cook it, it gets in the meat." Jim finished off his can and peered into the dumpster for another. The changeling chucked another one at him, which he caught just before it hit his face.

"You sure know a lot about this," NotEnrique remarked, gnawing on another can.

"Well, my mom's job is to keep humans healthy, so she knows a lot about it."

"And how is your mom human?"

With the question finally out there, Jim sighed. He wasn't entirely certain he wanted to answer.

So, he didn't. "Later. When we've built some actual trust."

"You seem to already trust me a lot, especially with the whole changeling factor."

"I happen to know that changelings are the way they are out of necessity, not by nature. You were forced to learn how to survive in the form of an infant around a horde of things that abuse your kind to alleviate stress. You had to adapt to survive. I respect that."

Jim held out a hand for him to grab onto, and deposited NotEnrique between his horns again. He brought them both to the walls of the theater before he crouched, gathering his muscles to jump the thirty to forty feet to the roof. His passenger gripped tighter as they were in the air, and as he ran across the roof and leapt to the next roof. Jim continued on his path until they were in sight of the museum, where he slowed to a stop

"You know?" the changeling asked.

"Yes. It's where I saw Gladys being eaten by Bular."

NotEnrique almost fell off his head. "You wanna run that one by me again?"

The half-troll snorted. "What, that your boss eats his subordinates because they can't avoid being discovered by the Trollhunter? Or threatens to kill them for the smallest matters, and does kill them for his own amusement?"

NotEnrique was silent, before he said, "And you said you'd gimme protection?"

"And appreciate you for what you can do? Yes."

A nervous, breathy laugh came from the top of his head. "Hell of a sales pitch, kid. Alright, you've got me. So whaddya want me to do, huh?"

Jim stepped back from the edge of the roof, walking to the edge that was in the direction of Claire's home. "For now? Just lay low, be Enrique, do whatever the other changelings ask of you, within reason. I'm not asking you to declare your allegiance to the world, that would be the exact opposite of helpful. What you are doing, though, is valuable. You are valuable. Remember that."

The tiny changeling's silence told him exactly what he wanted to hear.

* * *

 **Ah, Mordin. The very model of a scientist Salarian. Thank you for your quote.**

 **Also, if you like Percy Jackson, go check out my other story, The Mithraic Mystery. I like to think that it's good.**


	16. Discontinued

**I have made the executive decision to discontinue this story.**

 **There are many reasons, all of which you as the audience will probably agree with. This is the first story I have ever written. The chances of it being good were low; good writing is something that, like everything else, comes with practice. This story is not good. The plot, relationships, and many other things were rushed, there were haphazard decisions I made purely because I could, and while many people were in character, they weren't quite correct. However, I do consider it a resounding success for its purpose, and that was practice.**

 **The fact that I can look back and say that means that I learned. Really, that was all I wanted. I never wrote this to become serious, it was more of a hobby that I put out there because I wanted to see what I could do. I never really expected it to get longer than Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's stone, but I'm glad it did. Anything I write in the future will benefit from this experience that I could not have gained otherwise. That being said, I do not plan on giving this up. It will just have to be completely overhauled and will look nothing like what it does now. The first chapter is already written, but I'm waiting for it to be looked over before it goes anywhere.**

 **Thank you all for reading this and giving me valuable experience that I can use forever more.**


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